Luck of the Irish
by Meum Cerebrum Nocet
Summary: It is said that the Irish are lucky, so why couldn't Seamus catch a break?
1. Chapter The First

_**Summary: **__It is said that the Irish are lucky, so why couldn't Seamus catch a break?_

_**Disclaimer: **__I own nothing but Kari and Lucy. All else is JKR's._

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**Luck of the Irish**

**Chapter the First**

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_All of us have bad luck and good luck. The man who persists through that bad luck –who keeps right on going- is the man who is there when the good luck comes and is ready to receive it._

_~Robert Collier_

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A defeated sigh escaped his lips as his umbrella was flipped inside out once more by the strong winds wreaking havoc on the British capital. He attempted to wrestle the umbrella back to its proper position, but before he was able to, it ripped down its seam and became utterly useless. The young man scanned the area and, assuring himself that he was alone, performed a shrinking charm before shoving the useless implement into a pocket of his coat.

Popping the collar of his muggle rain jacket and hunching his shoulders, the sandy-haired twenty-something trudged on through the gale that had engulfed the entire British Isles. Much as he would have loved to turn back towards home where it was warm and dry, he had promised his best friend that he'd meet him for lunch. No matter how miserable he was at the moment, his friendships were more important to him. Plus, the restaurant they were meeting at sold the most amazing sandwiches in Muggle London. So he persevered through the inclement weather and just hoped that the sandwiches were better than ever and that whatever topic the two would be discussing would be worth the hassle of getting there.

When he was only a few steps from the door of the restaurant the young man quickened his pace, imaging the delicious sandwiches and hot tea awaiting him. He had his hand on the door and was just about to open it when he was plunged straight into what could only be described as an ice bath.

At that very moment, a car had driven by on the road behind him, speeding through a puddle and sent the frigid waters within all over him. Wrenching the door open in frustration, he wondered what he had done to deserve this streak of bad luck.

For months, he had been plagued with, what most would consider, small annoyances, but when added up, they caused him a lot of pain and frustration. The tip of his quill would break when he didn't have a replacement, or he'd knock over his ink well onto a paper he'd been working on for the past few hours. He'd loose his wand, or the left shoe of his favourite pair. He'd sleep through his alarm and was late for work, or he'd have a hole in his pocket and loose his money that had been for his lunch. All in all, they were not terrible, life-altering events, but when the same thing went wrong for months and months, those small provocations would start to drive even the sanest man batty.

No matter what he tried, be it buying rabbits' feet or looking for lucky four-leaf clovers in the field behind hid parents' house, he couldn't change his luck. Instead, he chose to persist through the storm of bad luck and hope that, unlike the storm currently overhead, it would end soon.

"Seamus! You made it!" a voice called, breaking him from his thoughts, "Why are you soaking?" Dean Thomas' face was contorted into a look of concern for his friend's wellbeing.

"Forgot my umbrella," he stated with a wave of his hand, trying to minimize his situation. He really didn't want to get into the trouble he'd experienced in the past few months, so he chose not to bother Dean with it.

"I'm going to go dry off. I'll meet you at the table," Seamus told Dean, heading towards the back where the washrooms were. As he walked, he peeled off his sopping rain jacket, trying not to drip on the floor. He was pretty sure that even if this wasn't a five star restaurant they wouldn't appreciate someone dripping all over their table settings.

Upon reaching the bathroom, he pushed on the door and found it locked. Checking to make sure it wasn't a single stall type room, he exhaled a frustrated breath and turned to find someone who could help him. It took him much longer than he would have liked and, when he finally got it opened, he found the entire room trashed and the paper all used up. The woman who had helped him open the door said she'd find the janitor to come clean it up, then disappeared behind the closed door. Not wanting to wait any longer to get dry, Seamus pulled out his wand and performed a quick drying spell.

He then left the bathroom and began scanning the busy restaurant for his friend. He located Dean sitting at a table near the front window and quickly saw that Dean was not alone. However, the second person was facing away from him, so he couldn't see exactly who it was. the figure was definitely female, but other than that, Seamus had no idea.

He approached the table with the caution he had developed as a result of his current misfortune. Something, and he wasn't sure what, was telling him that approaching the table was a bad idea. He continued on though, assuring himself that nothing bad could come of having lunch with his friend. He had known Dean for more than ten years; surely whoever Dean chose to associate with couldn't be all that bad.

Seamus was stopped in his tracks when he came close enough to see the other occupant of the table set for three. He couldn't believe his eyes. This couldn't be happening! His luck couldn't be this bad! He was debating turning around and quickly leaving the restaurant, explaining later to Dean what had happened, when _she_ looked up and caught his gaze.

"Seamie! Dean told me you'd be joining us!"

"No! No! No! No! No! No!"

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_To be continued_

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_**A/N: **__Not sure what exactly this story will be like because, as of right now, I haven't really planned it, but I do know the essence of the story will remain the same. _

_Review and let me know what you thought!_


	2. Chapter the Second

_**A/N: **__Grrr! I wanted to have this up on Thursday, but fanfiction wasn't letting me! Otherwise this totally would have been up a week after the first chapter like I had planned._

_**Disclaimer:**__ One day I was sitting on a train when this idea for a story about a magical boy suddenly formed itself in my mind. Then I woke up and realised I wasn't JKR and I didn't actually create Harry Potter :(_

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**Luck of the Irish**

**Chapter the Second**

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_Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute, and it seems like an hour. Sit with a pretty girl for an hour, and it seems like a minute. That's relativity._

_~Albert Einstein_

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Seamus stood with his nose pressed against the glass window of Quality Quidditch Supplies. He wasn't the only young wizard standing there, looking at the showcased Nimbus 2000. In fact, there were about twelve others, all around his age. His mother had needed to make a quick stop at the apothecary and Seamus hadn't wanted to go with, so she had allowed him to go over to the Quidditch store, after warning him to stay by the window and not go wandering off.

He knew first years at Hogwarts weren't allowed broomsticks and they never got on their house Quidditch teams, but as he stood looking in, he couldn't help but let his mind wander…

_He hovers in the air, nearly twenty feet from the ground, his scarlet red robes flapping in the light breeze. Once he begins to play, the robes will no longer be nearly motionless but flying wildly right along with him. Looking down at the ground he sees the referee walking onto the pitch with the trunk of balls in tow. _

_He waits patiently as the other three balls are released, one Bludger flying a little to close for comfort as it makes it's ascension into the sky. Finally the moment he's been waiting for, the release of the Quaffle. He is the first to grab it and begins the dance he has been practicing for months now. Weaving in and out of the other team's members, he easily makes his way across the pitch. A quick look over his shoulder reveals that the other two chasers on the team have gotten stuck in the crowd of the other team. Seamus is on his own. _

_He makes it to the hoops of the opposing team and lofts the Quaffle through the highest goal post, the other teams Keeper unable to do anything about it. _

_Time and time again, he scores. The game ends after an excellent showing by his team and the quick eye of their Seeker. They win 950 to 60._

_That night Gryffindor is in an uproar. Seamus is celebrated for not only scoring the first goal that got the team started but many others after that. They hoist him high onto their shoulders and begin chanting his name._

"_Seamus! Seamus! Seamus! Seamus.."_

"Seamus?" an oddly high pitched voice broke him from his daydream. As the sandy haired young wizard came to, he realised that it was him who was chanting and that he must have looked like a right idiot to everyone around him.

Blushing a shade similar to fuchsia, he turned in the direction he heard the voice calling his name. When his eyes met their desired target, it felt similar to the reaction of characters from the cartoons his father was always showing him. His eyes nearly popped from his head and his mouth dried faster than if he had just eaten a bite of his mother's exceptionally dry soda bread.

The girl who had been calling his name looked a few years younger than him, with long black locks and piercing green eyes. She was the prettiest girl he had ever seen. Her rosy cheeks and plump lips looked like a skilled artisan had carved them of the most perfect material and they fit perfectly onto her face. Her arms and legs were thin, yet not lanky, and looked as if she could perform intricate dance steps without a second thought. As he stared, she cocked her head to the side, revealing perfectly shaped ears with small diamond studs in the lower lobes, and smiled a perfectly straight and pearly white smile.

His breath seemed to have escaped him so it took a moment for him to be able to answer her questioning gaze. He tried to sound cool, but with her emerald eyes on him, the only thing he was able to do was force a lopsided smile and mutter a quite "Hi" under his breath.

The girl laughed, a sound like light bells ringing and moved towards him. "You're funny. I'm Kari and guessing by your little victory cheer, you're Seamus!" Her tinkling laugh echoed through his head once again and she stuck out a small, pearly coloured hand. He took it, revelling in the absolute softness of her hands and nodded his head, fearing that if he spoke he would make an even bigger fool out of himself.

"Are you going to Hogwarts this year?" she asked, trying to pry some form of conversation out of the boy.

"Yeah, it's my first year. How about you?"

Her smile slipped from her face momentarily before being hurriedly replaced, though it looked forced. "No, I'm still too young, but my older brother is going. He's shopping with my mum. They told me to wait for them here.

"I saw you looking at that broom in the window. Can you fly? I've always wanted to but my mum says it's not a sport that 'proper ladies' play. I told her that there's a whole team for just witches but she wouldn't hear it…"

Seamus watched Kari's bright pink lips form words that he was no longer paying attention to. She could talk all she wanted, just as long as she was talking to him.

He had never been around someone this perfect, let alone standing and talking to her. He couldn't believe his luck! His first trip to England had been going perfectly! He couldn't wait to come back for the first of September and board the Hogwarts Express and start his magical education. With this sudden wave of luck, he could just imagine everything he'd be able to accomplish, especially since he was standing here talking to the most beautiful girl to ever grace the planet.

"Earth to Seamus!" Kari's voice finally broke through Seamus' thoughts.

"Sorry what?" he replied lamely. He didn't want to sound like he hadn't been listening to her, but he honestly had no idea what she had just been talking about and he'd look like a royal arse if he did pretend to know.

"I was just wondering if you wanted to go into the store. You were staring pretty seriously at that broom. Maybe you could try it out or something," Kari explained, grabbing his hand and pulling it slightly. At the contact, Seamus' brain momentarily stopped functioning. It didn't reboot until he heard the chimes of the bell above the door.

His mother had told him to wait _by _the Quidditch store, not _in _it. He told Kari as much and she told him that it wouldn't really matter if he went into the store for a minute because the apothecary was down the street and they could see it from the store.

"We'll just keep an eye on the door and when your mum leaves, we'll bolt back outside and she won't know anything!" Kari explained with a flip of her long black hair and a casual wave of her hand. Seamus wasn't sure why, but he wanted to do what this girl was telling him too, even if he felt it was a bad idea.

Finally he conceded and followed her. Before the door closed on him, he took one final look around the crowded streets for a sign of his mother. Not spotting her, he let the door close and began perusing the shelves of Quidditch paraphernalia, echoes from his dream playing in his mind as he went.

'_Seamus! Seamus! Seamus!'_

* * *

"Seamie! Dean told me you'd be joining us!"

Seamus swore under his breath as he was wrapped in a tight and intimate embrace by the dark haired woman who had been sharing the table with Dean. When the raven haired beauty released her arms and stepped back to take in the man before her, Seamus felt a sharp breath leave his mouth. It had been years since he had last seen this particular woman and he had been hoping that he would never again have to.

Thinking back on it, even Seamus could admit that he had it coming, what with all the bad luck he had been having. It was just a matter of time before something really big happened. The event just happened to be the one that would cause Seamus the most anguish.

"Hey Kari, I wasn't expecting to see you here. I thought it would just be Dean and I," Seamus said, his voice tight and controlled. He was trying desperately not to break into tears.

"Yeah, well Dean figured that I should be here for the news too, considering it has to do with me and him!" Kari exclaimed happily, pulling Seamus towards the table. He went along reluctantly, all the while trying to think up an excuse to get out of this awkward situation.

He had spent years trying to avoid thoughts of, and run-ins with, Kari, and here she was, sitting with his best friend. It seemed all of his hard work was torn apart in the few seconds he had taken to accept Dean's invitation; in his defence though, he hadn't been aware of the fact that Dean knew Kari more than friends of a friend. That fact was quite sad, considering what a big part she had played in the early portion of his life.

At one point in time, Kari had been the love of his life, and if he was being completely honest with himself, he was still head over heels in love with her. He just hadn't had the guts to tell anyone about it.

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_To be continued…_

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_**A/N: **__A few notes:_

_1. To avoid any possible confusion, the first part of this story all the way up to the ending line of last chapter, was a flashback. Hope it didn't confuse too many people!_

_2. The description of Kari (pronounced Car-e) is biased from Seamus' point of view and he thinks she is the most beautiful creature he's ever seen. This is solely his opinion. He's blinded by love and Kari isn't as perfect as Seamus thinks! She does have some fairly significant character flaws which will become more apparent as I introduce her further!_

_3. Tell me what you thought, please! I've got one hell of a review craving!_


	3. Chapter the Third

_**Edited (12/10/2011): **__Formatting changed slightly_

_**A/N: **__Crazy fanfiction issues created crazy update days and this was supposed to by up yesterday. Hope you enjoy this! A little bit more plot XD_

_**Disclaimer:**__ I own a few new souvenirs and a few awesome pictures from my trip to Vancouver, but I don't own Harry Potter :(_

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**Luck of the Irish**

**Chapter the Third**

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_Though it be honest, it is never good to bring bad news._

_~William Shakespeare_

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Kari sat Seamus in the seat she had vacated to greet him and took the chair beside Dean, grasping his hand in the process. It was during this motion that Seamus saw the glittering ring on her left hand. How could he have missed that when she hugged him? Had he been too focused on getting out of the situation to fully take in her appearance? Now that he saw it, he couldn't believe he hadn't seen it earlier.

The stone was of a good size, not too big that it took over Kari's dainty fingers, but also not too small that you couldn't tell there was a diamond there at all. The band was a simple sliver, no extra embellishments or gems. It was elegant yet understated.

And as his analysis of the ring concluded, Seamus felt his body freeze from the inside out.

It started with a small chill near the middle of his chest and gradually progressed through his torso and to the very tips of his extremities. It was as if the blood in his veins had turned to ice and was slowly turning him cold. His emotions went numb and he just sat at the table dumbfounded, staring at their clasped hands. He was wishing, hoping, praying, that he had misinterpreted everything. He wanted so badly to be wrong; he wanted some rude American to jump out at him and tell him that he was being "Punk'd".

Nothing happened.

The moments slowly ticked away, him sitting and staring and the other two…

Why weren't they saying anything? Why were they just sitting there, letting him assume the worst? Goddamn it! Why weren't the easing his bloody mind?

The rage began to build in him. Much like the ice, it started in his torso, though lower than the ice. This anger came not from his heart, which was still frozen as if Jack Frost himself had blown upon it. This anger came from a place much more animal. This wasn't a human anger; it was savage, wild, unrestrained.

It spread through his body until it finally reached the tip of his head and bathed his vision in a devilish red. Everywhere he looked, the red clouded his vision, colouring everything in the fiendish shade. How could they treat him like this? Stomp on his feelings in such a way and then not even give him the courtesy of an explanation.

He stood as Kari opened her mouth to finally speak, but he didn't care about what she had to say now. She had wasted her chance. He stormed out of the restaurant without another word and disapperated from the back alley the moment he was sure he was alone.

He wasn't sure how he made it back to his tiny apartment without splinching himself. This thought crossed his mind for maybe a second before it was once again replaced with his immense rage. He needed to act, needed to vent before the rage overtook him and he exploded with fury. He struck out at his wall and was satisfied by the pain that shot up his arm at the harsh contact and the small, fist shaped hole he had created in the drywall.

His anger and immense sadness gave him a power he didn't know existed. He suddenly felt like he could rip his couch in half, but refrained from doing so because it was the only piece of decent furniture he owned. Destroying it wouldn't be worth it in the end. And as that thought flitted through his mind, his overworked brain slowly began to clear and a much more rational thinking process emerged.

He found he wasn't angry at Dean. Dean didn't know how he felt, for he had never told anyone, not even his best friend. He had kept his feelings a secret because he didn't want to be laughed at. He didn't want to be judged as one of the many guys Kari had falling all over her. He wasn't like the other guys; he truly cared for her, deeper than any of her other suitors. But she never thought of him as more than the funny older boy she met while shopping with her brother. They would never be more than friends so he told no one of his feelings.

He wasn't mad at Kari either. She was also unaware of his feelings. She wasn't with his best friend in a spiteful manner. She liked him, a lot, and if she chose to settle down with Dean, the better to them both. Dean was sweet and caring and he really deserved a knock-out beautiful girl like Kari. And Kari deserved to be loved for her personality and soul as much as for her stunning good looks. The two were, and he hated admitting it, perfect for each other.

No, he wasn't mad at them. He was mad at the circumstance. If he hadn't been caught chanting his name by her all those years ago, then maybe they would have had a chance at something more. Maybe if he wasn't such a bloody coward (why was he in Gryffindor again?) then he would have worked up some nerve and told s_omeone _about the way he felt. But that wasn't the case, and now, the girl he had loved since he was eleven was getting married to his best friend.

Someone upstairs definitely had it in for him.

* * *

A sharp pain spread up his leg as the edge of his trunk made contact. He swore under his breath and looked around for his mum, hoping she hadn't heard. It wasn't until a few seconds later that he realised he needn't have worried. He was aboard the Hogwarts Express, heading off to the sole school for magical education in all of the British Isles. He wouldn't be seeing his mother for another four months! He was free of her watchful eye! He could stay up late and swear all he wanted without the fear of being whacked upside the head for his inappropriate behaviour!

Life couldn't get any better! Well, he could find a compartment, and his leg could not be hurting, but other than that.

He returned to his scans of the various compartments and found they were all occupied by either giggling girls who shot him dirty looks whenever he passed, or surly looking older boys whose stares just dared him to ask to take the free seat. Passing one compartment with a solitary figure, he could have sworn he saw Harry Potter, but he was sure his mind was playing tricks. Surely someone as famous as Harry Potter wouldn't be attending Hogwarts. He'd be going to some school for gifted wizards that trained heroes and such.

Another compartment brought him three upperclassmen, two with wild red hair and the other a black boy with dreadlocks. They looked to be conspiring about something and Seamus chose not to interrupt them, lest he be involved in something that could get him in serious trouble before he even started school.

A few more compartments on and he found one that was mercifully empty. He stowed his trunk above the seat and sat down by the window, watching the English countryside pass him by. He couldn't help but thinking that Ireland was much greener. No sooner had that thought passed his mind when a longing for home panged his heart. He was certain he wouldn't miss home while at Hogwarts; he'd be far to busy to give it much thought. But as he sat alone on the train, he had nothing but the green hills that surrounded his home and the constant smell of ale from the nearby pub, to think about.

Before the tears that were threatening to fall spilled over, a knock at the door sounded. Seamus took a moment to compose himself before turning to see who had knocked. Standing in the door, wearing muggle jeans and a jersey for a team Seamus had never heard of, was a small looking black boy.

"Hey," the boy began awkwardly, "can I sit with you?" Seamus nodded and motioned for the empty seat across from him. The nervous look on the boys face was replaced by a nervous smile. He pulled his trunk into the compartment and stowed it before sitting across from Seamus.

"I'm Dean, by the way, Dean Thomas."

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_To be continued…_

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_**A/N: **__Ok, so I know I promised you more plot and it may not seem like there was any in here but if you squint really closely and turn your head ninety degrees to your right, you'll be able to see that Dean is engaged to the woman Seamus has been in love with since he was eleven. _

_There will be more plot in future chapters but I'm taking it slowly because I am guilty of rushing plot and that creates a really crappy story that no one wants to read. So stick with me, there will be more to come!_

_Tell me what you thought of this chapter! And if anyone can tell me Dean's favourite football team (I can't remember it and HPLexicon has failed me in this instance) I would greatly appreciate it! Thanx!_


	4. Chapter the Fourth

_**A/N: **__A day early because I will busy rocking my socks off tomorrow :P_

_This story is by far the easiest thing I have ever written. I love it!_

_Enjoy this latest chapter of "Luck of the Irish"! I really like this one because you are __finally __introduced to the fourth major player in this story! Took me long enough to get around to her huh?_

_**Disclaimer:**__ I own nothing but concert tickets to tomorrow's Fefe Dobson/ These Kids Wear Crows show! Can't wait! Sadly the rights to Harry Potter were not included in the purchase of said tickets._

* * *

**Luck of the Irish**

**Chapter the Fourth**

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_I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day._

_~Frank Sinatra_

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Seamus Finnigan was walking along beside his mother, excitedly telling the sandy haired woman about the more worthwhile aspects of the year. He was just getting to the part where Harry Potter and his friends ventured into the forbidden third floor corridor when he heard a female voice calling his name. Thinking it was possibly Lavender or Parvati -the two Gryffindor girls he actually talked to- he turned, and had his breath stolen from him. Running across the station, her raven hair trailing behind her as she went was none other than Kari James, the young girl he had met last year in Diagon Alley.

"He-hey Kari," Seamus choked out, trying to regain his stolen breath. She stopped before him, a dazzling smile crossing her face.

"I was hoping to catch you before you left. I liked talking to you and wanted to give you this," she handed him a small piece of folded parchment, "before you left for school but my stupid brother got up late. It's my address. Write me this summer ok? I want to have at least one friend at Hogwarts before next year!" Seamus simply nodded and returned to his mother, whose eyebrow was so high that it was nearly lost in her sandy blonde hair.

He didn't say anything to her, but simply kept on walking. He wasn't about to discuss crushes and relationships with his mother; it was too embarrassing.

That summer, Seamus spent hours conversing with his two new pen pals and loving every minute of it.

* * *

Seamus hated every minute of his life. The girl he was in love with was marrying his best friend and, unlike the other times he had been in similarly painful situations, he didn't have his friend to confide in. He couldn't talk to Dean about what was going through his head because then Dean, being the good friend that he was, would immediately break up with Kari even though he was head-over-heels in love with her. Seamus couldn't do that to him. He would simply keep his feelings to himself and maybe drink them away.

That was what he was doing now. Sitting at a bar back in his native Ireland and drinking away his sorrows. He wasn't surprised by the busyness of the bar, even though it was only nine in the evening. Ireland was known as a fairly liquefied country. He was surprised by the odd amount of green being worn by the patrons at the bar, but he didn't let that faze him. His only concern was getting drunk enough to forget his worries and lose himself for a few hours. If he could do that he'd at least feel like he accomplished something.

He ordered another drink and downed it quickly and was looking for another before the barman had finished his rounds. Waving wildly in an attempt to get the surly barman's attention and feeling the full weight of his drinking, Seamus nearly unseated himself from the barstool upon which he sat.

The barman came over with another drink, muttering under his breath, "Dá fheabhas é an t-ól is é an tart a dheireadh." Seamus, who normally understood Gaelic perfectly, was too drunk to do any translating and turned to the barman with a questioning glance.

"Means good as a drink is, it ends in thirst. Me mum used to say it to us kids when we was growin' up. Said that no matter how much you try an' drown yer sorrows, you'll still end up with 'em in the mornin'," the bearded bartender replied before leaving Seamus to his pity party.

He wasn't able to loose himself in his drink though. Just as he was about to gulp the alcoholic beverage, he felt a foreign pain in his upper bicep. He looked over at said arm and saw a short, auburn haired girl, her fingers pinching the skin of his left bicep.

"What are you doing?" he questioned, not quite drunk enough that he started slurring his speech.

"Pinching you," the rosette stated simply as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. She had a strange accent -that Seamus couldn't quite place- that made her words sound even stranger to his inebriated mind. Seamus rolled his eyes.

"I meant, why are you pinching me?"

"If that's what you meant, that's what you should have said," the girl explained simply, tossing her hand in the air and motioning for the bartender. Seamus knew he wasn't going to get anywhere with this girl, yet he still felt a compulsion to try. He waited for her to order her Guinness before beginning his assault.

"Well now I've asked you, so go on, answer it," he prodded.

"It's Saint Patrick's Day and you're not wearing green." She took a sip of her beer and waited for him to say something against her. Seamus couldn't think of anything to say to her. The day did explain the excess green in the bar, but he thought that people stopped pinching each other after they became teenagers. Why was this girl doing it to him now?

"I'm Lucy, by the way. Lucy McCarthy, and you are?" Seamus rolled his eyes again and didn't answer. He didn't care what the universe was trying to do to him. He was going to ignore this girl and enjoy his beer, no matter how chatty she got. Unfortunately, she wouldn't shut up and spent the entire night regaling him with stories and tales that Seamus paid no mind too.

Someone upstairs really had it in for him.

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_To be continued…_

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_**A/N: **__*humming Panic at the Disco's 'Nine in the Afternoon'* _

_That one line where Seamus makes note of the time got this darn song stuck in my head._

_Anywhoset, I hope you liked this chapter. I'm not entirely sure what the Irish do for Saint Patrick's Day, __so I stuck in the tradition here in Canada._

_Also, I don't speak Gaelic, so if it isn't right, then I blame the website I got it from!_

_This was originally what this story was supposed to be. Seamus sitting at a bar drowning his sorrows when a pretty young girl comes to distract him._

_Tell me what you thought! You're comments are so greatly appreciated!_


	5. Chapter the Fifth

_**Disclaimer:**__ Nothing is mine, still._

* * *

**Luck of the Irish**

**Chapter the Fifth**

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_Conversation should touch everything, but should concentrate itself on nothing._

_~Oscar Wilde_

* * *

When she first sat down, pinching his arm, Seamus was immediately put-off. The short copper haired Lucy McCarthy -with her incessant talking in her weird accent, and the fact that she couldn't take a hint- dug into Seamus like a small ice pick. With every unwanted word she spoke, the pick dug further and further into his side until the pain became unbearable.

"URRG! Look, I was trying not to be rude, but I can't stand it anymore. I came to this bloody bar to sit here and drink my beer!" he shouted, slamming his glass down onto the wooden bar top causing some of the liquid to spill over the rim. "Alone," he added as an afterthought when Lucy didn't immediately leave.

Once again, she remained seated, staring at him with her large auburn eyes. "When I'm having a crappy," she paused in thought for a moment, "extended period of time, I find talking about it with someone always helps. That way, you're not the only person in the world carrying around your baggage. Also, if you tell your issues to a complete stranger, you don't have to worry about burdening them because, chances are, you're never going to see them again."

Seamus was struck dumbfounded. There was no getting rid of this girl!

What was it with people at bars anyway? Why did everyone assume that if you were at a bar, you wanted to talk? Sometimes you were simply there to get rat faced and not have to feel the guilt/ shame/ pain that was in your life at the moment.

Seamus was just about to concede defeat and stand up himself, when the words Lucy had spoken earlier began to sink in.

Maybe talking about his problems would be beneficial. If he got it off his chest, then maybe the choking weight that had settled there would be eased some. Seamus would have been a fool to believe that it would completely disappear, but if something could help relieve some of the pressure, shouldn't he at least try it?

A sigh escaped Seamus' lips, and as it did, he took a second to think about exactly how much he had been sighing lately. It must have been a sign on his anguish and frustration at the world.

He turned to Lucy, whose russet eyes seemed of have gotten even larger, if that was even possible. There was something comforting in her eyes, something that encouraged the sharing of his deepest secrets and before he knew what he was doing, he was opening up about the less than pleasant turn his life had taken recently.

He began by telling her how he had met Kari James when he was only eleven and how he had fallen in love with her at that very moment. He talked about taking the train with her, spending hours in her company for the first time and getting lost in her shimmering green eyes. He talked about his disappointment when she, like her brother before her, was sorted into Ravenclaw. In fact, he talked for hours about all of his experiences with Kari at school. He talked about how his heart broke when she got her first boyfriend and how it soared when they broke up three weeks later. He regaled Lucy with the tales of the rollercoaster ride his heart had taken with each change to her relationship status.

He was careful to omit any mention of magic and the like because he was sitting in a muggle bar.

Finally, he began talking about him pulling away from Kari. It had all started with Seamus finally getting his hopes up that Kari might actually see him in a romantic light and then having those hopes be crushed by the sight of Kari with yet another boy. He had experienced this many times before, but this was the first time he had let himself get so far in his desire to be with Kari that he actually believed he could be. His already weakened heart just couldn't take it. He tried to avoid Kari, stop talking to her all together, and eventually was able to cut her out of his life. Finally, he talked about what life was like as he began to forget Kari and that it seemed to be returning to some semblance of normal.

All through Seamus' confessions, which must have lasted hours, Lucy listened. She asked questions at the appropriate times, gasped and sighed when she was supposed to, and made all the appropriate gestures to show that she was indeed taking in every word Seamus spoke. Everything she did lulled Seamus into an even more comfortable state. He had never shared so much to anyone before, and yet here he was talking to a total stranger.

It was easier to talk to her about Kari than it was to talk to Dean. Lucy, for one, had no idea who the characters in his story were; she was forced to imagine them for themselves and make them seem however she wanted them to. For another, Lucy's lack of knowledge meant she wouldn't judge him. She didn't know about every single nuance and facet of Seamus' life –he hadn't been able to describe everything as it truly was. In a way, Lucy was biased to see Seamus' side of the story and not any other side.

Had he been talking to Dean, who knew all the players and all the nuances and facets, he was sure there would be some judgement in the way Seamus had explained himself. Dean would have known when the facts had been skewed to make something appear a certain way. He would certainly judge Seamus' retelling of these events. Lucy didn't. She simply sat there and accepted everything Seamus said as truth because she didn't know any better.

This ease made it effortless for him to talk about the tough part when it came. He took a steadying breath and delved into the part of his story that hurt the most. He explained what had happened the previous day, making sure that Lucy was absolutely aware of the fact, that neither Dean nor Kari knew his feelings. He didn't want to make either of them sound heartless when they were just uninformed.

"The love of my life is engaged to my best friend," Seamus finished his tale as they walked down a deserted country lane, heading from Dublin to Seamus' house, though he was unaware of this fact. They were just ambling down the street, having been kicked out of the bar nearly an hour ago because it had closed. Seamus couldn't believe he had talked for so long and that Lucy had listened the entire time! Very few people had ever paid that much attention to Seamus and that fact alone helped lessen some of the anguish he was feeling. At least someone cared for him.

He had also noticed that, having told his tale to someone, the compressing weight that had settled into his chest and had been stealing his breaths was greatly decreased. Turns out Lucy had been right. Talking had helped. He turned to Lucy who had a concerned look on her face.

"Wow, that's some serious shit," she stated, empathy written all over her face.

"It hurts, but drinking has been helping."

"Maybe, but you can't spend the rest of your life drunk. You'll just waste what time you have if you do that. Tell you what. If you let me, I'll try and distract you for a while! I'll be your… healthier alternative to alcohol!"

Seamus was taken aback. He may have spent the last few hours sharing some of his most personal thoughts and experiences, but he definitely didn't feel like he knew this girl. How did he know she wasn't some crazy serial killer or something?

Seamus knew that thought was crazy. They had been wandering through vacant fields for quite some time and Lucy hadn't made any move to kill him. If there was any opportune moment to kill someone, this was certainly it.

The more he thought about it, the more her idea sounded ideal. He could do with some company that knew his tale and wasn't going to judge him or make him feel even worse about himself. Lucy seemed like she genuinely wanted to help, and her idea for coping sounded much better than drinking himself unconscious ever night. Before he was really aware of it, he found himself nodding in agreement.

A smile spread across Lucy's face and Seamus couldn't help but stare. Her smile lit up her entire face and changed her relatively ordinary features into stunningly beautiful ones. After a few moments, Seamus became aware of a light chuckling coming from the small girl in front of him.

"Wha?" he asked, wondering what had caused her sudden joy.

"Your face, when you were zoned out just then, was really cute. Sorry about laughing but it was weird seeing that look on you. Does that make any sense? I can't explain it any better than that." At the end of her statement she began laughing even harder. Her laughter was incredibly infectious and before he knew it, Seamus was laughing right along with her.

The two new -friends? Is that what they were now? They weren't strangers anymore, but Seamus wasn't sure if they had crossed the line into friends territory quite yet. Digressing, Seamus and Lucy stood alone in the field, talking for a few more minutes before going their separate ways; Lucy back to Dublin, and Seamus further down the road to the small town of Annamoe where his parent's lived.

When both were a sufficient distance away, they took a quick look around to make sure they were alone, and turned on the spot, disappearing into thin air.

* * *

Seamus stood on the platform as people appeared through the brick wall that led back out to the main area of Kings Cross Station. He was looking at the train and the people bustling around it, trying to appear calm. In reality, he was beyond nervous. His final correspondence with Kari had been a promise to catch the train with her, which was going to leave any moment now. Kari had said that her brother had a knack for sleeping in and making the entire family late, but this was cutting it awfully close.

Dean had come up to him ten minutes earlier and Seamus had quickly told him to find a compartment and that he'd be on the train shortly. Now he was sure Dean was wondering where he was.

If Kari didn't show in the next two minutes, Seamus decided he'd have to leave his spot and board the train.

He looked over to the wall for the twentieth time since arriving and was relieved to see Kari's midnight black hair bounding through the stragglers left on the platform. She embraced him in a tight hug and rattled off some excuse for her lateness before grabbing his hand and pulling him towards the train. Seamus was taken aback by Kari's forwardness.

"I'd wait for my parents to catch up, but I'm sure my dad will spend at least twenty minutes saying goodbye to me and honestly we don't have that kind of time! We need to get seats! My brother said the train fills up early so I hope we can get some place decent. It would be a supremely sucky way to start my year, sitting next to some guy who smells, or drools, or talks for hours about chess or Gobstones or something!" Kari prattled on as she took quick looks into each compartment they passed.

They were nearly halfway down the train when Seamus stopped walking and pulled on Kari's hand to stop her advances. Prior to that he had been looking for an opening, not wanting to interrupt Kari as words flew from her mouth, but decided that politeness would have to be forgotten before Kari walked too far away from the place Dean and him had chosen to sit.

"You don't have to worry about not getting a good compartment. A friend of mine was saving us seats. He's this way," Seamus said, turning in the opposite direction and pulling Kari after him. They found Dean sitting in a compartment near the front of the train. However, he wasn't the only occupant. Parvati and Lavender sat across from him, discussing what the new year would bring.

"I heard a rumour that Gilderoy Lockhart is our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher!" Lavender gossiped with a squeal. She then turned to Parvati and the two began discussing Lockhart's astounding good looks and dazzling smile. Seamus chose this moment to walk into the compartment. Dean had looked up and smiled at his best friend. He then turned to look at the girl standing behind Seamus, and Dean's jaw slackened. Seamus, feeling slightly jealous and protective, stepped in front of Kari, but returned the greeting smile nonetheless.

Seamus then walked into the compartment, sitting next to Dean and motioning for Kari to take the empty seat next to him. When the dark haired girl sat down, Lavender and Parvati immediately stopped talking and turned to survey the new girl. Lavender stuck out her hand and plastered a very friendly smile on her face, a little too friendly when Seamus thought about it. Lavender must have felt threatened by the new girl because she had suddenly become very stiff.

"Hi!" she squealed apprehensively, "I'm Lavender and this is Parvati. We're both in Gryffindor. And you are?"

Introductions were made and everyone broke off into their own conversation groups. Lavender and Parvati chose to ignore the Kari, and continued their observations about Professor Lockhart. Seamus didn't care if Lavender or Parvati didn't like her. In his opinion, she was the most perfect person in the world.

The rest of the train ride was relatively stiff, with the other two girls pretending Kari wasn't there and Dean being unable to stop staring at her. By the time the gleaming steam engine pulled up to Hogsmeade station, Seamus was surprised that the occupants hadn't all killed each other.

He regretfully parted ways with Kari as he, Dean, Lavender, and Parvati made their way up to the horseless carriages and Kari headed, very apprehensively, over to Hagrid with the other first years. Seamus caught a quick glance of Ron's younger sister and began wondering where he was. While waiting for Kari back at Kings Cross, Seamus hadn't seen the Weasleys at all.

The carriage ride was much more comfortable than the train ride and passed in a flash. Before the four Gryffindor second years knew what was happening, they were being ushered into the Great Hall and taking their spots with the rest of the Gryffindors.

The first years came in and Seamus still hadn't seen Harry or Ron. Hermione was sitting all alone, a sight that was very rare for the bushy haired girl, and Seamus knew something was up. However, before he could give this anymore thought, McGonagall unrolled the parchment with the names of the first years and began to read them out.

She was soon at the J's and Seamus was holding his breath. Kari's older brother Lance had been sorted into Ravenclaw last year and Seamus was worried that the same would happen to Kari. If they were in separate houses, he wasn't sure how their friendship would survive it. People from different houses didn't really spend a lot of time together, simply because there was no opportunity to do so.

"James, Karina," McGonagall's crisp voice spoke to the Great Hall and Seamus watched as the raven haired girl he had met in Diagon Alley last year nervously made her way up to the Shorting Hat. It was the most nerve-wracking moment of Seamus' life as the old hat delved into Kari's mind and decided which of the four Hogwarts houses would suit her best. Finally the rip near the brim opened up and spoke to the entire population of the Great Hall,

"RAVENCLAW!"

Seamus' heart sank as a faint crashing noise sounded from outside in the grounds.

* * *

_To be continued…_

* * *

_**A/N: **__Review's are always welcome. Tell me what you thought about what I wrote. _

_Also, please be aware that I, sadly, have never been to Ireland. Hope there weren't any glaring errors!_


	6. Chapter the Sixth

_**Disclaimer:**__ Last time I checked the author of Harry Potter was JKR. I haven't checked in a while but I don't think that has changed…_

* * *

**Luck of the Irish**

**Chapter the Sixth**

* * *

_A meeting is an event where minutes are taken and hours wasted._

_~James T. Kirk_

* * *

Hogwarts was a school divided. Sure students from other houses occasionally talked to each other in classes, but outside of that, there was no inter-house commingling. It was strange to see two people from opposite houses talking to each other out of class. It had been like this for many years and no matter how hard anyone tried, nothing was ever going to change.

This thought had been running through Seamus' mind ever since the Shorting last night. He had been hoping and praying that Kari would be sorted into Gryffindor and then they would be able to spend all their spare time together. But that had all come crashing down the moment the Shorting Hat declared her a Ravenclaw. Now they would be forced to contend with the one inevitable fact of Hogwarts.

People from different houses didn't see each other outside of class.

This fact consumed Seamus' and Kari's friendship for the first few weeks of that year. Kari was working on getting settled into the world of magical education and Seamus was being consumed by the Hogwarts inevitability. By the time September had come to a close, Seamus had only caught fleeting glances of the raven-haired first year in between classes or as they dined in the Great Hall. It was a fact had obviously come to Kari's notice and had evidently bothered her because she cornered him one blustery October afternoon while he was coming out of class and confronted the sandy-haired second-year about it.

"Why have you been avoiding me?" she asked scandalized. Seamus froze for a moment, surprised by this sudden line of questioning.

"No one in Hogwarts, sorted into different houses, ever sees each other out of class. I haven't been avoiding you, we've just both been really busy and we don't have the common room after class to run into each other." Seamus wasn't sure if she would believe what he had said. It was the truth, but Kari hadn't been at Hogwarts for that long and she might not have been subjected to the inevitability yet.

"Oh," she said, her voice filled of her obvious contemplation. Seamus prayed that she believed him. Avoiding someone and then making up excuses was sure to be a relationship ender and, while they might not have been in a relationship, they were in a friendship and those were basically the same things, right? Just less kissing, right?

"I guess that makes sense. You don't really see people from different houses hanging out do you? Well, I guess we'll just have to change that! Let's agree to meet once or twice a week, how about Tuesdays and Fridays after dinner? We can meet in the library or something and do homework!"

Seamus stared at her for a minute before asking the only question that had manifested itself in his mind.

"Why Tuesday?"

It may have seemed like a completely pointless question, but Seamus' mind had been driven blank by Kari's speech. He realised that she seemed to be doing that a lot and choose to put that realisation away in his mind to contemplate that fact later. He then realised that she had begun talking and tuned out of his thoughts to hear her answer.

"Tuesday's are such a pointless day! I mean Monday starts the week, Wednesday is hump day, Thursday leads to Friday which is essentially the start of the weekend and then there's Saturday & Sunday which are weekend days, but there's no real purpose for Tuesday. This way we'll give Tuesday a rasion d'être," she explained with a simple wave of her hand.

A smile spread across Seamus' face at Kari's strange reasoning. He had never heard someone so into the purposes for the days of the week. She was a very interesting girl and the more quirks Seamus found out about her, the more he found he liked her. He couldn't explain what it was, but everything she did was magic. Everything he found amazing.

That night, after spending hours sitting in the library and pretending to do work with Kari, Seamus lay awake looking at the peaceful grounds and thinking about all the possible things that he would learn about Kari, and everything he would love about her.

* * *

Seamus lay awake in his childhood bedroom and stared out the window at the shadows of the hills that surrounded his parent's home. He had agreed to spend a week at home with his parents because they had been complaining that they rarely got to see him, now that he had moved from Ireland to London. He kept telling his parents that the move was nothing personal and that it had been so that he was closer to work, yet they still kept guilting him into spending a week or two with them every March.

Tonight, however, it wasn't his parent's guilt that kept him awake. It was the idea that tomorrow he would be spending the entire day with a girl he had only met two days prior. There was something about Lucy McCarthy that had Seamus doing things he wasn't used to. When he had first met her at a local pub in Dublin, she had talked him into spilling his deepest secrets and then made him promise to let her help him forget about his problem.

Seamus _was_ nervous about what Lucy would come up with to help distract him from his predicament. He didn't know that much about her and had no clue as to how her brain worked and what would seem like an interesting outing for her. Oddly enough though, this wasn't the main cause of his restlessness. What was really bothering him was that he hadn't spent any quality alone time with a girl since Kari and he wasn't sure how to act. Did he open doors and pull out chairs for her? Or would she think that he thought she was incapable of doing anything? But then, if he didn't do those things, would she think he was a pig? Questions flooded through his mind causing him to spend the entire night tossing and turning.

When he 'woke up' the next morning –if you could call simply dragging yourself out of bed after a sleepless night, waking up- none of his questions were answered and he looked like he hadn't slept for months. He took a hot shower, hoping that the scalding hot waters would at least make him more aware of what was going on around him. He needed to be as alert as possible if he was going to make it through this day in one piece.

The shower barely worked and when Seamus walked down the stairs and into his parents' kitchen half an hour later, he was still as asleep as he had been before the shower. He bypassed the tea his mother offered and set to work making himself a pot of coffee. Seamus normally avoided coffee because it made him extremely hyperactive, but today he figured a little extra energy was just what he needed.

His mother gave him a weary look when he sat down with his very large mug of steaming hot coffee. She knew all to well what Seamus was like when he had even a small sip of coffee.

"I didn't sleep very well last night and I need to be alert today. I have very important plans," he offered as a form of explanation. His mother didn't look relieved, but she stopped staring at him and turned back to her breakfast. The two sat in a companionable silence for a while, both lost in their own thoughts. They spent most mornings in a similar fashion, both not totally awake. Neither were real morning people.

His father came in, whistling an old Irish tune, a half an hour later. His father was the polar opposite of Seamus and his mother. Every morning his father was out tending to the land that made up their family farm and ensuring that no sheep had gone missing in the night. Seamus had tried to get up with his father when he was younger, but that had stopped the moment he began Hogwarts. When Seamus came home for vacations, he usually slept right through his father's morning chores.

At eight thirty, Seamus pealed himself away from his parent's small kitchen table and headed back upstairs to finish preparing for his day. He wasn't sure what Lucy had in mind for them, so he dressed in casual muggle clothing, a pair of jeans and a woollen sweater. It may have been March, but Ireland was never all that warm this early into spring.

He then left the house and entered the yard, looking for a sheltered place away from prying muggle eyes. He found a spot hidden by the high hedges and thought of the spot he had left last night. Once he had the location fully formed in his mind's eye, he turned on the spot and Disapparated with a light pop.

Lucy was waiting a little way up the street when Seamus appeared with a pop. He swore under his breath at his rotten luck and began searching for an excuse to explain his sudden appearance. He was about to suggest that he had simply jumped out from between the hedges that lined the road, when a smile broke across her face.

"So you're magical too! That's just fantastic!" she exclaimed, jumping up and down and rapidly clapping her hands together. Seamus wasn't sure how to react. Judging by the fact that Lucy was smiling and jumping up and down, it was obvious that she thought this was a good thing, but why? He had been positive that she was a muggle, seeing as she had met at a muggle bar nowhere near a large gathering of magical beings and people.

"You mean you're magic? Why were you at that bar last night?" Seamus asked when he finally found his voice.

"Well, I could ask you the exact same thing! I won't of course, because you asked me first. Anyway, I was at that bar because the concierge at my hotel said it was a hotspot for young locals. Thought I'd give it a try and I must say it was an excellent place," she finished with a wink at Seamus before bursting out into laughter.

Seamus waited for a minute for Lucy to stop laughing and catch her breath before he asked his next question.

"Why are you staying in a hotel?"

"Well you see, when people from different countries visit strange different places, they often need a place to rest their head at night and society dictates that such a place is to be called a 'hotel'," the condescension in Lucy voice was so thick that Seamus nearly felt suffocated by the way it filled the air. He rolled his eyes at her and tried to contain the biting remarks that began to dance before his mind's eye.

Lucy was going to be distracting him from his issues so he had to get used to her sarcasm and constant mockery at the things he said. So he swallowed his retort and put on a strained smile.

"What I meant by the question was, where are you from that you need a hotel?"

"If that's what you wanted to ask then you should have just asked it." She paused for a minute in thought before speaking again, "I think I've heard that somewhere before. Ah yes, we've had a similar conversation a few days ago. You know, you really need to work on your question asking skills! We'll work on that!

"And as an answer to your question, I am here visiting Ireland from the beautiful country of Canada and I needed to stay at a hotel seeing as I have no family here." Seamus nodded, unsure of what to say, and motioned for Lucy to lead the way. He wasn't sure how much more of her he could stand and wanted to get this day over with as quickly as possible.

Lucy smiled before taking his hand and turning on the spot.

* * *

_To be continued…_

* * *

_**A/N: **__Ok, I must confess that music is very inspirational and it finds its way into my work at the weirdest moments. Like in this chapter when Seamus was describing Kari and the Police found its way into that. [Every little thing she does is magic, even though my life before was tragic]_

_The pointless Tuesday reasoning belongs to my friend. Don't ask me anything about it because I'm not so sure I understand it completely myself. And raison d'être is French for reason to be, in case you didn't know…_

_I really like Lucy. She reminds me a lot of me… And I chose Canada because that's where I'm from and she couldn't be from the British isles because she's the same age as Seamus and if they went to school together they'd know each other which would render the rest of my story mute… so yeah!_

_Reviews always welcome!_


	7. Chapter the Seventh

_**A/N: **__I feel I must reiterate the fact that I have never been to Ireland. So if there are any glaring inaccuracies, blame it on that [and not the alcohol… goodness I'm lame =(]_

_This chapter caused much consternation. I had no idea what I wanted Seamus & Lucy to do. I was trying to not be too cliché (like a carnival), but also come up with something that would allow Seamus and Lucy to talk (so not a pub/ bar). It was a difficult task, but I am very happy with what I did choose!_

_Read on, dear ficers, read on!_

_**Disclaimer:**__ So I checked again and sadly, it still is JKR that wrote Harry Potter. And here I was desperately hoping that it was me =(_

* * *

**Luck of the Irish**

**Chapter the Seventh**

* * *

_True friends stab you in the front_

_~Oscar Wilde_

* * *

The compressing tension of Apparition vanished as his feet hit the slightly damp, mossy ground. He took a moment to gather his bearings and figure out just where Lucy had taken him. There was a distant sound of water crashing against the shore; it was a reasonable deduction that they were near the ocean. Judging by the amount of greenery and the rugged landscape that characterised the Irish countryside, Seamus figured they must not have left Ireland. They must have simply Apparated away from Dublin and to a less populated area.

Those were the only observations he was able to make before Lucy was once again grabbing his hand and pulling him away from the field they had landed in and towards a small dirt road that cut through the green countryside. They moved with a quickness that Seamus wasn't altogether used to, causing him to stumble several times as they progressed down the lush hillside.

Eventually they made it to the road and began to make their way towards an old farmhouse in the distance. Seamus walked a few paces behind Lucy, letting the smaller female show him the way. He had a pretty good idea about where they are going -the farmhouse was the only man-made contraption for miles in either direction- but he still feels he should stay behind. This is Lucy's adventure to lead; he is just supposed to follow.

Ten minutes later, they reached the old farmhouse to find that it was still a fully functioning farm. Sheep could be seen, grazing on the grass that grew on the distant hills and in the background, the sound of muggle farming equipment could be heard as it ploughed the ground for the immanent planting of seeds. Seamus turned to Lucy, a look of confusion colouring his features. Why had she brought him to a farm? Whose farm is this? How did she know about it?

Question after question tumbled through Seamus' mind, none staying there long enough to become an evocable thought. Lucy was a complete and utter mystery to him and he was too afraid to ask her any questions for fear that he would once again be met with Lucy's sardonic response. Instead he was forced to keep the questions in his head and hope that Lucy learned how to read his features.

He lucked out on this particular instance. That, or Lucy had been planning on telling him this information anyways.

"This farm belongs to a friend of my uncle's. When I told my family that I was coming to Ireland for a little vacation, my uncle told me I needed to look him up. I was planning on coming here today anyway, and then the whole thing with you happened so I figured I might as well bring you." She finished with a flourish and a wave of her hand in the general direction of the old farmhouse.

"What are your plans for today?" he asked carefully, trying to think of all the wrong ways the question could be interpreted. He found this arrangement of words to be utterly fool proof, but he was still a little hesitant. Lucy had torn apart all his pervious questions, so why wouldn't she do the same for this?

"Manual muggle labour my friend! We are going to be helping out Mr. Donahue with his daily chores. I used to help my grandparents with their farm chores every weekend I wasn't at school. It's an excellent way to spend a day, and with all the work you'll be putting in today, your mind will not have the time to wander!" Lucy was much too excited about this manual labour thing. Seamus was all for hard work, but he didn't really enjoy it as much as Lucy seemed to. He sighed and followed the rosette as she skipped up the dirt path towards the large wooden structure.

* * *

Seamus returned home that night, in so much pain that he wished he was dead. He could barely take a step forward without experiencing shooting pain up his legs. He absolutely hated manual labour. Whichever masochistic person had thought up manual labour had better be experiencing it non-stop in hell. It was the only fair punishment. Seamus was a firm believer that whatever sin a person committed in life, they would be forced to experience it in some terrible form for the rest of eternity.

Mr. Donahue, who refused to be called by anything else, had worked them all day, only giving the two young adults a half an hour to clean up and eat lunch. It was a glorious half an hour in which Seamus sat with his feet in a hot water bucket and ate some of the most delicious food he had ever had. The only dark spot on this particular break was that it was quickly over and he was forced to doing more work that caused him even more pain.

He would really have liked to hate Lucy at that particular moment, except he couldn't. She was the only thing that kept him on his feet while he was running back and forth to feed animals and pull ploughs and everything else that went along with owning a farm. She kept cracking jokes and making idle chit-chat that kept Seamus' mind off the work he was doing to keep his mind of Dean and Kari.

He learned a lot about Lucy that day, and he spoke a lot of the more intimate details of his life story. He found out that she had been raised by her mother and her uncle (her mother's brother) due to the fact that her father died when she was two. Her mother was magical (pureblood) but her father was a muggle. She went to the Hogwarts equivalent in northern Quebec and speaks fairly good French. Her father's parents were the grandparents that owned the farm she worked on.

She didn't have any siblings and grew up in a fairly isolated area of the very flat Canadian province of Saskatchewan. As a result, she had only really begun making friends when she started school and had only one really great friend growing up. Erica, her friend, had elected not to join her on this trip as they had originally planned because her mother had gotten sick.

Besides that, Seamus learned that when Lucy began talking, there was no stopping her and she would talk at a pace that was often very hard to follow. As a result, Seamus had been forced to ask her to repeat her rapidly paced words several times. By the time he Apparated home, he knew more about Lucy than he thought possible –especially since he had only been gone for twelve hours- and he felt like he would never be able to move normally again.

He fell over onto his bed, contemplating this strange new turn his life had taken. He had gone from heartbreak at the hands of the girl he had loved all his life, to meeting this new, fun-loving girl who talked so much he was sure she could set a record for the most words per minute spoken by a human being. He spent hours, just laying in bed, thinking about Lucy and her personality and all the things he had learned about her before drifting up into an exhausted slumber.

* * *

It was crazy early, Seamus had barely gotten any sleep last night, and someone was currently pounding on his bedroom window. He wasn't sure who had the balls to be doing this at nearly six in the morning, or who even knew he was at his parents seeing as he hadn't told anyone about his vacation.

He took a moment to calm himself before he beat the crap out of whoever was currently disturbing his rest, then rolled over, and swore under his breath. Of course. Dean had known about these vacations for years. Seamus was always gone for a week around St. Patrick's Day. Dean would have known to find him at his parents' at this time of year.

The Irish man waited for another moment before dragging himself out of bed and shuffling over towards his window. He popped it open and allowed his best friend entrance into his childhood bedroom. They sat in awkward silence for a moment, neither knowing what they wanted to say.

Seamus hadn't seen Dean since he had rudely run out the restaurant after Dean announced his engagement. What do you say to a friend after you reacted like that to what was supposed to be very happy news? Seamus was debating just simply telling Dean everything when the other boy began talking.

"Hey Seamus, I know you probably have a lot going on in your life and it's totally rude of me for asking, seeing as it implies that I am assuming you're willing to drop everything for me, but I was wondering if maybe, or course if you aren't very busy, if you'd like to bemybestman." Dean was doing that thing that most people do when they are nervous –rambling and talking at lightning speed. These two nervous tics combined meant that the last four words that came out of his mouth ran together and Seamus couldn't make them out.

"Pardon?" Seamus asked after several minutes. He had been trying to figure out what Dean had said but was only able to come up with beam east man, which made absolutely no sense.

Dean took a calming breath and then started again. "Well, Kari and I are starting to plan our wedding and we were talking about who we want in our wedding party and we decided that, since you know the two of us so well and you've been friends with us for years, you're the only choice. We were wondering, well I was wondering, if you'd like to be my best man." Dean took care to make sure the last four words were extra clear this time.

Seamus' heart skipped several beats, his stomach dropped through his intestines and the ability to talk fled his being.

He had the worst luck in the world.

* * *

A fourteen year old Seamus was rudely awoken at close to three-thirty on a Friday morning by a tapping at the window beside his bed. He normally wouldn't have been able to be woken up by such a light noise, but he had only been half asleep at the time. He grumbled as he pulled himself out of bed and quietly made his way to the window. He knew his roommates hated being woken up, especially Ron, who was extra touchy right now –owing to the fact that he was in the middle of a huge spat with Harry.

He opened the window and let the small tawny owl into the room. It did a silent lap around the room before coming to rest on the edge of his bed. Seamus stood for a moment, staring at the oddity that was the owl now resting on the wrought iron end of his bed. Owls didn't normally deliver post to dormitories. It was usually only when the sender sent express detail to do so, or called the letter 'extremely urgent'.

Coming to his senses, Seamus jumped a little and then hurriedly took the letter from the owl. He took a quick look at the front of the letter and saw Kari's elegant scrawl printed on the envelope. He wondered why she was writing him at this hour, but didn't take much time to contemplate this. He quickly opened the letter and began to read. As he got closer and closer to the bottom of the letter, his heart dropped so low in his stomach he was sure it would come out the other end.

_Seamie!_

_I'm so sorry about the lateness of the hour but I can't sleep because I just have to tell someone this and all of my roommates are asleep. But you are the top of the list of people I want to tell this to anyway! Here it goes!_

_I'm sure you're well aware of the fact that there is going to be a Yule Ball at Christmas time. Duh! Of course you are! It's all anyone can talk about! My friends and I are really bummed about that fact that you have to be in fourth year to go. It's so not fair!_

_Anyway, onto the point of this letter,_

_I was walking back from the library when this gorgeous French boy from Beauxbatons came up to me and asked me to the Yule Ball! I'm so excited! He's so amazingly hot and sweet and so many other things that I can't think of right now._

_Save me a dance because I don't want to not see you!_

_xoxo_

_Kari 3_

* * *

_To be continued…_

* * *

_**A/N: **__I am so so so glad that I got this chapter over and done with! It took sooooo long (like a week and a half). Most of that was trying to figure out what I wanted Seamus and Lucy to do. It was beyond hard, so thank me for sticking though it and actually writing this chapter. Review and I will love you forever!_


	8. Chapter the Eighth

_**A/N: **__Still fighting through a pretty severe case of writer's block and an ever mounting apathy, but I really want to get this done and so I will persevere! _

_I feel that the quote for this chapter could refer to the entire story and most of my life… it's weird how things like that happen…_

_**Disclaimer:**__ I own nothing and am only being paid in your reviews!_

* * *

**Luck of the Irish**

**Chapter the Eighth**

* * *

_Sometimes it's the smallest decisions that change your life forever._

_~Keri Russell_

* * *

Seamus loosened his tie and pulled at the cuff of his dress robes. He was feeling very awkward standing in the Entrance Hall with Dean waiting for the arrival of their dates. Seamus had asked Lavender Brown to go to the dance for two reasons. The first was that he didn't want to seem lame in front of Kari and show up without a date. The second reason was that she had been bugging him and Dean to ask her to the dance since it was first announced and he just wanted to shut her up. Dean had drawn the lucky straw and asked a pretty Gryffindor third year to go with him. Seamus sometimes wondered why all the good things seemed to happen to his friend.

He hadn't really wanted to go to the Yule Ball, not after receiving Kari's letter. He had been in the process of working up the nerve to ask Kari out when his heart had been shattered. Someone else had beaten him to her and now he'd never get a chance to ask her out. What could he offer that a French man couldn't? Seamus wasn't exotic, he didn't speak a foreign language, and his accent wasn't that much different than the rest of the British Isles. He was no match for this strange Frenchman and that fact hurt very much.

Dean had forced him into going to the dance and, no matter how much Seamus wanted to curl up into a ball and cry himself to death; he couldn't leave his friend alone. If Seamus chose not to go, then Dean would be forced to ditch his date for the night and take Lavender instead. Neither would survive to the end of the year if Lavender Brown wasn't taken to the Yule Ball. Seamus didn't want to force such unpleasantness onto Dean, so he put on a brave face and went anyway.

Finally Lavender and Dean's date Ariadne Bishop, the third year Gryffindor, arrived and the foursome entered the Great Hall and found an empty table. The evening was uneventful. They ate their dinners, danced a little and then tired and went to bed. Seamus spent the entire time avoiding Kari and inwardly sulking about his situation.

At one point in the evening, Kari had almost caught Seamus, but he had quickly whisked Lavender away before Kari could get within speaking distance. While Kari may have asked him to save her a dance, he hadn't promised her that he would. He didn't want to see Kari, happy because of some other person. _He _wanted to be the one making her feel that way and it upset him to no end to think of someone else taking what he so desperately wanted.

He was able to get through the entire night without seeing Kari and while it may have provided him a temporary relief from the depressing feelings he had been consumed with the past few weeks, but he would have to face Kari after the break. Then he would pay for ignoring her, but in his mind at the time, it was completely worth it.

* * *

Seamus sat at the local bar downing shot after shot and trying to forget about what had transpired earlier that morning. He had asked Dean to give him some time to consider the offer of best man under the pretence that he had to make sure he wouldn't be too busy in the months leading up to the wedding. In reality, he wasn't sure he'd be able to stand seeing Dean marry Kari. He had a terrible time seeing Kari with boyfriends during Hogwarts. He wasn't sure he'd be able to see her married and officially out of his reach for good. On the other hand, Dean had been Seamus' best friend since they had started Hogwarts years ago. He couldn't leave his friend in the lurch like that.

He had spent the first part of the day at his job, trying to keep busy enough to keep his mind off his troubles. When work had ended he had headed to one of the many pubs that littered Daigon Alley and began to drink his sorrows away.

He was about twenty shots in when a disappointed scoff sounded over his left shoulder. Seamus turned slowly, trying not to unseat himself in his inebriated state, but nearly fell over from shock when he saw who was standing behind him.

"Ka-ka-Kari, what are you doing here?" Seamus stuttered, extremely taken aback by her sudden appearance at the same pub he was drowning his sorrows in. Before her appearance, Seamus had been very close to becoming completely rat arsed. Now his mind was completely cleansed of all the effects of alcohol.

"Dean told me he talked to you about the whole best man thing and that you were concerned about you schedule and I've been trying to find you all day to put my two cents in," she said as she sat down at the stool next to him and motioned for the bartender.

Being a Friday night, the pub was packed with people and the bartender was busy running from one end of the bar to the other. His main focus was woman and people who had been drinking in excess. However, if you just walked in, it would often take a fair amount of time to be served. Kari stuck out her hand, let out a shrill whistle and stole the attention of the bartender from a curvy young woman at the other end of the bar.

Seamus rolled his eyes and inwardly groaned. Kari was always getting the attention of people normal humans couldn't. She had always been pretty in her youth, having many people comment on how perfectly proportioned her features were. Now that she had reached adulthood, she was downright gorgeous and she couldn't walk into a room without having people stop and stare at her.

The bartender hurried over to serve Kari, a sloppy, flirtatious smile plastered on his face. He took her order and turned to tend to his other customers, the smile completely removed from his face at the sight of the rock on Kari's left ring finger. Seamus momentarily wondered if Kari's engagement and pending marriage would put a damper on her influence over men. However, he wasn't given much time to consider this, because Kari began to talk.

"I know that Dean had already asked you to be his best man and he's played the best friend card. I also know that you came up with the stupid excuse about 'needing to check your schedule'…"

A look of surprise crossed Seamus face at Kari's proclamation. How had she known it was an excuse? Had Dean figured it out and told her? Dean _was _Seamus' best friend; they did know each other very well. If Dean had figured out Seamus' lie, was he upset? Kari was obviously able to read at least some of the thoughts that flitted across Seamus' face, because her train of thought quickly changed.

"… It's not like a care about why you said what you did, I just want you to know that having you as part of the wedding is very important to both of us and it would make me extremely happy if you would agree. I just thought I would give you that to think about." Kari finished the last of her beer, placed a few sickles on the counter, and left a stunned Seamus sitting alone at the bar.

The bartender showed up to clean away Kari's glass and grab the money and saw Seamus' expression. "She ain't worth the trouble mate. All pretty girls got way to much baggage, if you ask me."

Seamus simply nodded, too lost in thought to really comprehend the world around him.

* * *

It was very late when Seamus returned home that night, or was it early? He had spent many hours after Kari had left him thinking about what she had said. He wanted to make her happy; he loved her smile and his heart broke when she cried. He just didn't think he could stand watching as she pledged herself to love another man for the rest of her life.

What was he to do?

He didn't sleep for the next few nights, spending hours going over the pros and cons of each side and coming up with a balanced scale. No trait of one side seemed to outweigh that of the other. If he didn't decide on one soon he would be stuck in this sleepless cycle and, if his performance at work was to be a reference, that was most definitely a very bad thing.

It was on the twelfth sleepless night, that the answer came to him.

He had been walking from the kitchen to his bedroom with a cup of steaming tea that would hopefully lull him to sleep, when he saw her. Kari was standing in his living room, wearing a flowing white dress with tears streaming down her face. Seamus hurried over to comfort Kari, placing his tea down on a small table. He wrapped her in a tight embrace and stroked her long black locks, muttering comforting words into her ear. He wasn't sure why Kari was at his flat, or how she'd gotten in, but that didn't matter at that moment. The only thing going through Seamus' mind was calming Kari enough to figure out who had upset her. Then he'd kick the prick's ass to teach him a lesson.

Finally Kari's sobs were reduced to a light shaking and she was able to speak.

"Kari, what's wrong? Who did this too you?"

"Y-you di-d, Seamie! Y-you w-wouldn't c-come to the-the we-we-wedding!" the rest of her speech was lost as Kari was once again consumed by body shaking sobs.

Seamus took a step back in surprise. He had never made Kari cry before. In fact, he had gone to much trouble to make sure that he never would, and he had been the cause of her worst fit in years! How could he let something like this happen?

Seamus awoke with a start and dragged his hand through his hair, messing it up even more.

* * *

_To be continued…_

* * *

_**A/N: **__A few quick notes about this chapter. I checked the harrypotterlexicon and was unable to come up with a date for Dean. If JKR does specify who Dean's date is, than I'm sorry about the inaccuracy. Please inform me of this so I can correct it. _

_Also, I try to write without bias, but I really don't like Lavender… that kind of came out through this chapter… sorry if I offended anyone!_

_Oh, and on a happy note. This chapter was much easier to write than the previous one! Let's hope that means I've weathered the worst of my writer's block/ apathy and am going to be writing chapters much more frequently than I was! *Knocks on wood*_


	9. Chapter the Ninth

_**A/N: **__The chapters are coming much easier now! Still not going to say anything affinitive, but the ideas seem to be flowing a lot easier! That's always a good thing right?_

___Up a day alter than usual for obvious reasons (Today is the unluckiest day of the year :P)_  


_And two quotes because there are two POV's!_

_**Disclaimer:**__ I may have found my renewed want to write, but I still do not hold any rights to that which I write about._

* * *

**Luck of the Irish**

**Chapter the Ninth**

* * *

_The guilty one is not he who commits the sin, but the one who causes the darkness._

_~Victor Hugo_

_When angry, count to four. When very angry, swear._

_~Mark Twain_

* * *

Lucy stood outside the brick façade of an old movie theatre in the heart of Dublin, awaiting Seamus' imminent arrival. They had decided to meet here at the end of their last distraction excursion for another soirée into leaving their current world behind them. Lucy had simply decided to help Seamus because one, she was finding her days in Ireland a little boring now that she had accomplished everything she had originally planned, and two, she couldn't resist the sad look Seamus had when they first met.

Since then, she had found herself enjoying the time she spent with Seamus and impatiently awaiting the time she would get to see him again. She had been so excited to see him that she had arrived nearly a half an hour early. Finally the agreed upon time came and Lucy stood a little straighter, hoping to catch a glimpse of Seamus' sandy hair in the crowd. She scanned back and forth for another half an hour before she was forced to face the reality that she had been stood up.

Lucy, never one to take an insult such as that lying down, hastily found a deserted alley and Apparated. She was going to find Seamus Finnigan and make him pay for standing her up!

* * *

Seamus had been avoiding Lucy. He had spent most of the time they had spent together complaining about the upcoming wedding. He just couldn't face her judgemental gaze that he was sure would surface the instant he told Lucy that he had given up on his happiness and sanity for a woman who would never love him back. He couldn't face that and live through watching Kari marry his best friend. It just so happened that he had known Lucy for less time and therefore wasn't as emotionally attached to her.

He knew that avoiding Lucy was not the best idea, especially since he had told her his home address. Lucy would come after him the moment she realised what he was doing and her wrath and judgement would be ten times worse. He always knew this about situations, but he was always too much of a coward to face them off the bat. Once again he wondered what the hat had seen in him all those years ago.

He was pondering this very notion when a loud banging noise sounded on his thick wooden flat door. He slowly pulled himself from the comfortable chair he had fallen into when he decided not to go to the movie that afternoon. After what felt like hours but was really only half a minute, Seamus reached the front door. He didn't have to check and see who it was that was disturbing his afternoon. He knew it was Lucy. He knew he was going to face a severe yelling when he opened the door. Once again he paused to postpone the inevitable. God he was a bloody coward.

After one final, nerve gathering breath, Seamus flung open the door and was left speechless for the second time in two days.

"Hey Seamie! I'm so glad that you agreed to be Dean's best man! We're both extremely happy that you're going to be part of our wedding! It's so perfect! Anyway, I am here because we have an appointment to eat twelve different kinds of cake and choose the best one! Now I know that much cake will totally make me feel bloated and fat, but that's a sacrifice I am willing to make!"

Kari walked into Dean's apartment as she spoke and sat down on the chair Seamus had vacated only moments prior. Kari had a tendency to talk as if everyone already had all the information. She would leave out details she thought were obvious but were actually very important to everyone else. In this case, Seamus wracked his brain for a reason as to why Kari was insisting they needed to eat a lot of cake. When he couldn't come up with anything, he turned to Kari, who had made herself comfortable with that morning's addition of the daily profit.

"What are you talking about Kari?" Seamus plainly asked. With Kari, it was always best to be upfront and not beat around the bush.

"Suzy is out of town for the next few weeks and I have decided that you will fill her spot as matron of honour. You were my friend first, so technically, you can totally help me more than Dean. Plus I'm much prettier than Dean and eating cake with me will be a much better experience!" Kari explained with a wave of her hand as she delved further into the society pages.

Kari was a big gossip who always needed to know what everyone else was doing. It was the only real flaw Seamus had ever been able to find. It didn't taint his image of her in the slightest though. Kari had far too many good qualities to be defined by the one thing that made her slightly human. In fact, if anything, this flaw made Seamus love Kari even more. She wasn't perfect. She cared to much about what other's thought and what they were doing. She was almost human, almost within his reach.

Well, except for the whole engaged to his best friend part.

That angst-filled thought brought Seamus back to reality and the incredibly gorgeous woman sitting in his favourite chair. She wasn't going to leave until he agreed to go with her, a tactic she had used to her advantage many times before. With a sigh, he grabbed his coat and turned to Kari.

"Well, we better get going then."

It wasn't until they were halfway down the street that Seamus remembered about Lucy. He had once again, though unconsciously, avoided facing a situation he had no interest in dealing with. When he finally met Lucy again, she would be furious.

Just Seamus' luck.

* * *

Lucy arrived at Seamus apartment thirty-five minutes after they had agreed to meet at the movie theatre. She had first Apparated to his parents' house, only to discover that he had returned to his home in England the pervious Monday. The red haired witch then hurriedly made her way to his London flat to give him a piece of her mind.

She began frantically pounding on his door, making as much noise as possible and alerting all of Seamus' neighbours to her presence. She didn't care about any of them. All she wanted to know was what had caused Seamus to skip out on their date. It wasn't like she like him (like that) or anything. That wasn't why she was upset. She had only known the guy for a little over a week. What was causing this insane rage was that she hated people who broke plans. She hated standing around looking lost and out of place. It was an image that screamed 'STOOD UP'. Everybody around was made aware of the fact that someone had cancelled plans on her.

That then led to people making assumptions about her character. She had a terrible taste in men. She was too clingy or too whiny. She had deluded herself into believing that what she had with this man was real. She was more in love with him than he was with her. All assumptions made about the person who was stood up were never very favourable to said person. It was usually something wrong with the person who waited. It just wasn't fair.

And so, Lucy knocked and yelled and made as much noise as she possibly could. And Seamus didn't answer.

After ten minutes, and a screaming match with his extremely nosy and cranky neighbour, Lucy realised that Seamus wasn't at home. He hadn't simply fallen asleep, or gotten distracted by something on the wireless and lost track of time. He either forgot that he had made plans with her and went out with someone else (which was a truly awful thought), or he had purposely not shown up and was now avoiding her (possibly even worse than the pervious).

But neither situation seemed to describe the Seamus she knew. He was the guy who sacrificed his heart time and time again for a girl who would never return his feelings. He stood by Kari's side even though every second that passed that she wasn't with him, killed him. He was a great guy who wouldn't forget or avoid.

Then again, Lucy _had_ only met him a few short weeks ago. Could she really say that she knew how Seamus would react in every single situation? She didn't know every facet of his personality –though as she stood their contemplating this she realised that she wanted to.

That thought derailed her, sent her train cars flying all over and the gas in the fuel lines to explode.

She _wanted_ to get to know him? Where did that come from? She had never really wanted to know this much about anybody. Ever. The Canadian witch was a very private person. She didn't feel like sharing unnecessary or private facts about oneself.

She then began to think about the last time she had spoken to Seamus. She had told him more about herself than some of the people she had known her entire life. Half of the things that Erica knew about Lucy, Erica had found out after a lot of digging and prying questions. There was something about Seamus that just relaxed her. She felt completely comfortable around him. She talked for hours and hours on end and didn't feel like she shouldn't be sharing, or that she'd regret opening up this much.

Lucy slumped down the wall outside of Seamus apartment and put her head in her hands. What was this strange Irish man doing to her?

* * *

Seamus and Kari walked into a quaint little muggle bakery in the heart of London. Kari had insisted that they plan a muggle wedding with only small magical hints so that Dean could invite his family and childhood friends. As such, she had been ensuring that everything, from the dress she was wearing, to the venue, and the caterer, were all muggles. The officiator would be a wizard well versed in muggle traditions. Kari had explained this all to Seamus as they had walked from his apartment to the nearby tube station and then on towards the bakery.

Seamus had nodded along and pretended to be completely enthralled when Kari talked about tulle and table settings. That was what best men (matrons of honour) did for their groom (bride). In reality, his thoughts were back in Ireland, at the movie theatre he had planned to meet Lucy at. He felt really awful about ditching her, and then not being at his apartment to meet her wrath when she found out he had ditched her.

As he walked into the small cake shop, the smell of baking goods wafting through the open door, he made a pact with himself. He was going to make up for ditching Lucy. He would let her vent all of her feelings about him and then take her shopping, or out to a really expensive dinner, or whatever she wanted to do. It wasn't right what he had done to her.

* * *

_To be continued…_

* * *

_**A/N: **__A look into someone other than Seamus' thoughts. Tell me what you thought about it, and if you liked it, I may do it again. _

_No flashback in this chapter because it took me in a completely different direction than I had originally planned and I couldn't find a spot to include it... oh well, they'll be back next chapter :P  
_


	10. Chapter the Tenth

_**Disclaimer: **__…Nope…_

* * *

**Luck of the Irish**

**Chapter the Tenth**

* * *

_A man can be happy with any woman as long as he does not love her._

_~Oscar Wilde_

* * *

It was several hours later that Seamus was finally able to worm his way out of picking out floral arrangements. Kari had dragged him all over town after their cake date, making him sit through boring meeting after boring meeting while Kari and her wedding planner –who they had met at the bakery- decided on all the tiny details that made up a wedding. After the seventh stop, he began to wonder if Suzie was really out of town or simply avoiding Kari and her crazy wedding planning.

Taking a page out of –what he assumed to be- Suzie's handbook, Seamus made up fake plans with his mother that he couldn't get out of. He even went so far as to suggest he might be able to rebook them. That was when Kari put her foot down and made him leave. Seamus knew Kari well enough to know the order of her priorities. First came family, then friends, then everything else. In Kari's books, rescheduling plans with family for any reason other than life-threatening illness was a sin.

Seamus Apparated to the alley way behind his building and slowly walked up the four flights of stairs to get to his flat. He spent this time trying to come up with what he would say to Lucy when he saw her next. Apologise. That was the first thing he knew he had to do. What was causing him trouble was coming up with the words to express how badly he felt and how much of a royal arse he knew himself to be. He had been toying around with the words 'royal arse' when he turned to the corner to his flat door and stopped in his tracks.

Sitting against the wall, staring at the peeling pain across from her, was none other than Lucy, the girl he had been hoping to avoid for a little longer, or at least until he had come with something better to say than 'I am so so sorry. I'm such an arse'.

He was just debating the merits of turning around and going to the small café down the street when Lucy turned and looked at him. Her eyes, which moments earlier had been clouded with confusion and a slight tinge of sadness, flashed red. Her soft features contorted into harsh, angry lines and all Seamus could think of was how absolutely beautiful she looked. He should have been afraid of her terror. He should have turned and run, or tried to speak before she could. Instead, he stood in the poorly lit hallway contemplating the exceedingly furious beauty before him.

"What?" Lucy snapped. Her harsh voice cut through the silent, slightly dusty air. It didn't reach Seamus. He was lost in his own thoughts, too busy to be afraid, or sorry, or any other emotion besides shock-and-awe. "Would you please stop staring at me; it's starting to creep me out."

Finally Seamus' brain began functioning again. Its first action was to blink his rapidly drying eyes, then shake his head slightly and finally remove his gaze from Lucy and look her in the eyes.

"Sorry," Seamus muttered quietly, letting the word hang in the air. That one word, used so often without really meaning it, hung between the new friends like a spider. Neither wanted to touch it, or move it from between them; it just hung in the empty space, staring at them. Seamus had meant the word to express many of the emotions and thoughts racing through his head.

Sorry for standing you up.

Sorry for staring at you.

Sorry I didn't realise how absolutely amazing you look.

Sorry I can't come up with a better word to apologise.

Sorry I am now making things awkward by not saying anything else.

* * *

Lucy wasn't sure what had made her look up at that exact moment. A creak in the floorboards perhaps? A shadow blocking the light from a window over the stairs? A feeling that she was no longer alone in the hallway? Or maybe even a feeling that _he_ was standing nearby? While the last option creeped her out a little, Lucy didn't contemplate the reason behind her action for very long. The moment she saw Seamus, all her pervious musings and thoughts were replaced with pure rage.

She contained herself at first, waiting to hear him out and then yell at his inadequate explanation of why he had stood her up. She was sure that anything he could come up with short of loosing a limb or a family member would ever be good enough for her. She waited another few minutes, giving him the opportunity to collect his thoughts, when she realised he was staring at her. Unabashedly and without explanation.

She snapped. She was well within her rights to snap at him; he was being a prick. He wasn't saying anything to her, like she had caught him with her freeze ray or something. He should be apologising and piling on lame excuses and grovelling. He shouldn't just be standing there, staring at her.

When he finally spoke, it was a faintly muttered 'sorry' and nothing else. She waited once more for a further explanation but received none. Instead, he let the word hang in the air, expecting her to interpret it. There was a lot for him to be sorry for at the moment; Lucy wasn't going to provide him with those reasons. He should know enough to know when he had done wrong.

"And what the fuck are you sorry for?"

* * *

'And what the fuck are you sorry for?' Lucy's poison-filled words reverberated around Seamus' mind as he tried to pry out the words that would make everything at least a little better. He didn't want to spend too much time thinking, not speaking had already gotten him into more trouble with Lucy. Finally, after a minute of silence, Seamus just opened his mouth and spoke the first words that came to his mind.

"I'm sorry for everything. I'm sorry for standing you up and I'm sorry for not being here to face your wrath when you got here. I'm sorry for making this really awkward a moment ago. I'm just sorry for every wrong I have ever committed. I know I don't deserve your forgiveness but maybe I could earn it someway?" Seamus was surprised at the words that had come from his mouth. The emotion in them, the intense, pleading look he had been giving Lucy while speaking them, everything had sounded so true and sincere –which he was. He truly hoped Lucy would forgive him because the limited time they had spent together had been some of the best hours Seamus had experienced in the near past.

He felt really crappy about even considering not seeing her because he was too afraid to face her. That didn't seem like an excuse anymore. Why had he been so worried about what she would think about him agreeing to be the best man at his best friend's wedding? It was his life and he could make all the decisions he wanted.

He was also the unlucky sod who hadn't thought that earlier and was now in –what seemed like- a fight for his life. Lucy was taking a minute to mull over what Seamus had said, and he wasn't going to interrupt her. He really wanted her to think over every word he had spoken. He wanted her to remember the emotion behind each syllable and see how badly he felt.

It seemed like an eternity before Lucy spoke again. She had calmed some since they had first run into each other, but there was still an aura about her that was filled with anger and hurt. Seamus could tell just by looking in her eyes. It would require a lot more than just an apology to make up for what had done.

"Maybe, we should spend sometime apart. I'll reconsider your offer to do whatever you need to to get back into my good graces when I don't want to disembody you and leave you with just a head and body."

With those last, softly spoken words, Lucy brushed passed Seamus and headed off down the stairs. Seamus stumbled forward a few steps before collapsing against the wall Lucy had been occupying when he had arrived. He dropped his head into his hands and tried to think about why he felt like he had just been stabbed in the heart and as if Lucy had taken something of his when she left. He no longer felt whole and he couldn't figure out why.

* * *

Seamus sat in the Gryffindor common room in a right foul mood. He had spent his entire summer corresponding with Kari, consoling her about the loss of yet another boyfriend.

Since Kari's first boyfriend –the insanely gorgeous Beauxbatons student she met in her third year- Kari hadn't been able to keep a boy around for more than three months. It was rarely her how broke up with them. Guys found her insanely attractive and fun-loving, at first. Eventually her mood swings or her need to be the center of attention or a number of various facets of her personality became unbearable and the guy would dump her.

Even with all this experience, each break-up seemed like the end of the world. Seamus didn't mind Kari's overreactions; he ended up looking like the better man. He had stuck by Kari for over six years, no matter what had happened in each other's lives and what they found annoying about each other.

This particular break-up seemed to have affected Kari even more than normal. Kari had been sure this boyfriend, a Ravenclaw boy by the name of Martin Carmichael, would be a long term thing. She was making plans with him for the summer and next year and was thinking about all the things they would be doing in the years to come. She had been so happy around him, and they had lasted nearly six months, twice as long as normal.

Then he had broken up with her. Kari had called his reason stupid; Seamus secretly agreed with Martin. Martin, being a seventh year, had spent the last few weeks thinking about his future. He figured that is they stayed together it would mean he would have a girlfriend at Hogwarts: he would be tied to the British Isle unable to move freely like he desired. He also argued that she wouldn't want to be dating someone she couldn't spend a lot of time with. He would be busy with work; she would be busy at school. It would be best if they broke up so he could be free and she could date someone she could spend every day with; they'd both get want they wanted.

Kari hadn't seen it that way. She didn't think she would be gaining anything. All she felt was loss. She had lost the one relationship she had seen actually going somewhere. Because that's what Kari saw it as, that's what Seamus focused on while trying to help her get over it. He had done it many times before. He had gotten very good at talking Kari out of one of her moods.

This particular time, Seamus did an excellent job of it. By the time they were preparing to leave for Hogwarts, Kari was no longer upset about her now ex-boyfriend and was singing Seamus' praised so loudly that it gave Seamus hope that maybe he'd be able to win over her heart. He had been trying and failing to get Kari to see him in a romantic light as opposed to simply her best friend. With Kari talking so emotionally about him, Seamus began thinking that maybe his efforts had worked and she was starting to like him.

His hopes were dashed the moment he stepped onto Platform 9 ¾ and witnessed Kari wrapped around a boy Seamus had never met before. Hope fled him like a rapidly deflating balloon and he had been left in this depressed mood ever since. Kari would never be his. He just had to accept it, and if he couldn't, then maybe he needed to spend less time around Kari. Being in her presence, while bringing great joy to his otherwise boring life, was like a stab in the gut every time she smiled at some other guy. He was sure he'd never be able to stop loving her if he was around her all the time. And in that moment, on midnight the first evening of his sixth year, Seamus decided that for once, he would think of himself before Kari and he would do whatever he needed to get over her.

* * *

_To be continued…_

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_**A/N: **__Not much too say besides review :P_


	11. Chapter the Eleventh

_**A/N: **__A look into Kari's past, how she met Dean and what made her fall for him. It's an all flashback chapter :P_

_Sorry this is a week late but my last two weeks have been filled with crazy, hectic schedules and the fact that –for some reason- I don't like writing when my grandparents are here… weird._

_**Disclaimer: **__I own nothing, please don't sue me!_

* * *

**Luck of the Irish**

**Chapter the Eleventh**

* * *

_I like men who have a future and women who have a past_

_~Oscar Wilde_

* * *

Late. She was desperately late and it was all because her idiotic brother had slept through two alarms and her near constant yelling for him to get moving. Sometimes she envied her brother's ability to sleep through anything. Kari would love to not notice the thunder storms when they occurred, waking her from her bed and paralysing her with fear. It would have been amazing to sleep through them without even noticing one thing. However, on her first day of Hogwarts, having her brother's sleeping make her nearly late for the train just infuriated Kari.

She had promised Seamus she would meet him before the train left in hopes of having a friendly face she could talk to while on the train. Kari had never had any problems making friends. She was very outgoing and, in her mind, generally pretty. People seemed to be drawn to her like moths to a light. She was simply uninformed about the people who attended Hogwarts –her brother had never been very chatty- and she wasn't sure how they would react to her. While all her pervious experience said she'd make friends in no time, there was always a possibility that there was someone at Hogwarts who was better at it than her and stole all possible friends. Having Seamus waiting for her ensured that she'd know at least one person and she wouldn't have to sit alone.

But if her brother didn't hurry up, she was sure Seamus would leave. He had to get on the train too. She wasn't that special that he would miss the train for her, though it would have been really sweet if he did.

Finally the family of four made it to King's Cross station and Kari took off like a rocket. Philip, her annoying older brother, was going into his fourth year at Hogwarts, and –having been dragged along to see him off each year- because of that Kari knew exactly where platform 9 ¾ was located. She pushed her trolley up to the wall, swivelled her head quickly around and then burst through the barrier.

She hurried along the nearly empty platform, simply looking for an unclogged entry way onto the train. With luck she'd get a compartment that didn't contain any creepy, smelly, or boring people. She was just about to turn towards the train and attempt to push her way past the few students who were standing by the door, saying their last few goodbyes when a sandy head crossed her vision. She hoped and prayed that her suspicions were correct and that Seamus had waited for her. She left her trolley, hoping her parents would retrieve it before someone went through her stuff and ran towards Seamus.

He turned in her direction –confirming her suspicions- and she was so overcome with joy that she couldn't help herself and embraced him in a tight hug. "Sorry I'm so late, but my stupid brother overslept. Shall we search for a seat?" Kari quickly prattled, gabbing Seamus' hand and steering him towards the train.

"I'd wait for my parents to catch up, but I'm sure my dad will spend at least twenty minutes saying goodbye to me and honestly we don't have that kind of time! We need to get seats! My brother said the train fills up early so I hope we can get some decent seats. It would be a supremely sucky way to start my year by sitting next to some guy who smells, or drools, or talks for hours about chess or Gobstones or something!" Kari prattled on as she took quick looks into each compartment they passed.

Suddenly, Seamus stopped and tugged Kari lightly on Kari's hand to ensure she stopped as well. She turned, confused by his actions, to face her first Hogwarts friend and was met by a slight smirk. "You don't have to worry about not getting a good compartment. A friend of mine was saving us seats. He's this way. Come on!" Seamus said, turning in the opposite direction and pulling Kari after him.

They walked about halfway back down the train, past where they had entered and stopped in front of a compartment door with the soft humming of conversation on the other side. Kari took a moment to envision Seamus' Gryffindor friends. She knew Harry Potter was in his house and took a moment to imagine meeting Harry Potter. She would sweep him off his feet with her good looks and quick wit and they would instantly become a couple that everyone at school talked about. She would have no issues with making friends; everyone would want to know the famous Harry Potter's girlfriend. An excited smile crossed the raven haired girl's face as Seamus pulled the door open and revealed two girls eagerly gossiping about teaching staff and a black skinned boy sitting across from them, reading something.

Kari's face fell. No Harry Potter. She racked her brain sure that Seamus had spoken of the infamous wizard several times over the summer. Why wasn't he sitting with Seamus? Kari was broken from her thoughts by Seamus' movement into the compartment. After being asked, through gestures, to sit down, Kari did apprehensively. She could tell that the two girls, who had immediately stopped talking when Kari walked in, didn't like her. She was also upset that she hadn't gotten the famous boy-who-lived, but was instead stuck with a muggle boy who enjoyed reading American comic books.

Her excitement for her first year of Hogwarts was quickly dissipating.

* * *

While her initial thoughts on Dean Thomas had been disappointment at the fact that he wasn't more famous, Kari didn't find anything wrong with him as a person. Being friends with Seamus, and wanting to spend time with him, meant also spending time with Dean. She quickly grew to see Dean as a friend and found herself enjoying his company, even if he wasn't Harry Potter.

Kari did get to meet Harry Potter later on that year. He was much quieter and humbler than Kari would have thought. Sadly, she hadn't been on her top form during that meeting: it had been early one Monday morning and Kari was just focused on not falling asleep in her bowl of porridge. Kari decided that her dreams of become Mrs. Harry Potter were much like her classmates and a complete waste of time.

She also ended making many friends, even without Harry's help. Most of the girls in her year instantly loved Kari and turned to her for all kinds of advice. Most of the male population of Ravenclaw, and even a few from other houses, enjoyed shamelessly flirting with the stunning beauty, but Kari always stalled their advances before they got too much further than simply flirting. She wasn't ready for a boyfriend. Not at eleven.

As a result, she began spending more and more time with Seamus and Dean, especially after her instillation of Tuesday night meetings. The two boys were her friends, and she only saw them like that, but they helped keep some of the more persistent boys at bay. She eventually even started hanging out with just Dean; she was particularly interested in the muggle world and could spend hours on end inquiring about everything from telephones to automobiles. Dean's world was absolutely fascinating to Kari.

On one particularly cold November day in Kari's third year –the year of the first Triwizard Tournament in a century- Kari and Dean sat alone in the library studying for their respective tests. They had long since exhausted many muggle topics and decided to take a break from Kari's discovery mission to learn more about each other. The conversation had wound through many paths –family, friends, and interests- and eventually ended up where many young adult conversations eventually ended. They were discussing relationships, what they found attractive in a partner, and –the most popular conversation at the time- who they were taking to the Yule Ball.

Dean sheepishly confessed that he hadn't asked anyone yet. He had been thinking of asking a few people, but since he wasn't overly interested in any particular girl at the moment, he wasn't sure who he should ask. Kari, who was a year too young to go to the Yule Ball, tried making subtle hints that Dean should ask her to go. That way she would be able to be there and Dean wouldn't look bad for not having a date.

However, much to Kari's chagrin, Dean didn't seem to pick up on her hints. She left the library very disappointed at her slowly evaporating chances to attend one of the biggest school run events of the decade. The raven haired Ravenclaw was so focused on her disappearing chances when she ran into the broad back of a reasonably tall male standing in the hall.

The force of the impact, combined with her very thin three inch heels, would have sent Kari crashing to the floor, if the male she had run into hadn't turned with wicked fast reflexes and caught Kari before her butt could contact the cold stone floor. "Excuse moi. Je suis très apologétique pour causer votre tomber. Je m'appelle Gabriel, et toi?"

Kari's face flamed red as she tried to come up with some response to this mysterious boy's words. He was by far the most gorgeous person Kari had ever met. He had medium length blonde hair that was effortless messed to create a slight dishevelled look. Kari was sure this blonde French man played Quidditch: she only knew Quidditch players that could move that quickly. And his voice, and the way he spoke. French was already a very romantic language and his voice, that deep, sexy baritone, just put it over the top.

"Hi. I'm Kari," she responded after a few minutes.

* * *

_To be continued…_

* * *

_**A/N: **__Part one of two… this chapter was getting a little on the lengthy side so I decided to split it up._

_I greatly appreciate your feedback; tell me what you thought!_

_Oh, and my French is a little rusty but Gabriel said "Excuse me. I am very sorry for making you fall. My name is Gabriel, and you are?" – sorry if my grammar sucks :(_


	12. Chapter the Twelfth

_**A/N: **__Part two of Kari and Dean, the early years._

_**Disclaimer: **__I own nothing, please don't sue me!_

* * *

**Luck of the Irish**

**Chapter the Twelfth**

* * *

_No man is worth your tears, but once you find one that is, he won't make you cry._

_~Anonymous_

* * *

By halfway through fifth year, Kari had become an expert at dealing with break-ups. She had experienced so many heartbreaks and endings that she had built up an immunity of simply not caring. She was no longer looking for relationships and was now only dating for the fun of it. She no longer put her heart completely into relationships and, as a result, no longer got hurt. She no longer turned to Seamus for consoling and instead, had sort of taken over for him in the whole making-it-hurt-less department.

Many people had watched her supposedly get her heart trampled on by guy after guy and still go out looking for more; they wanted to know how she did it. How did Karina James not have a heart broken into a million tiny pieces, so broken it would never be mended? People came to her asking her for tips on how to avoid the nearly crushing pain of an end of a relationship they had put their hearts into.

Kari's answer was simple enough: don't put your heart into it. It may have sounded cold, and many people told her she'd never find "the one" if she wasn't willing to risk her entire heart. Kari said that, while this was a true statement, they were still in school and, chances were, most people would not meet their sole mate at Hogwarts. Generally, after hearing Kari explain her reasoning and backing it up with solid facts and statistics –like any good Ravenclaw would- people began to believe her.

The one person who never seemed to take her advice was one of her closest friends. Dean Thomas had just had his heart handed to him on a plate by a combined effort of Ginny Weasley and Harry Potter. Kari didn't blame Ginny or Harry; they were just following their hearts. She called them nasty names and talked them down purely for Dean's effort. She kept telling Dean that he should have taken her advice when he started his relationship with Ginny. It was obvious to everyone with eyes that when Ginny said she was over Harry Potter, she was lying to herself and everyone. Ginny wasn't over Harry, she never would be and any boy she dated would simply be a place holder until Harry inevitably returned her feelings.

As Kari sat across from Dean in the library, attempting to look like she was busy studying but really trying to make him feel better, a strange feeling began creeping up inside of her. She started to feel glad that Dean and Ginny had broken up; that she got to pick up the pieces Ginny had left behind. She got to be the better woman, the one who told Dean that he was far too special to be this broken up over a girl. She got to build him up when he was feeling at his lowest. She got to be the better woman.

Seeing Dean this down made her heart feel like it was breaking along with his. She couldn't stand to see him like that. She began believing the terrible things she was saying about Ginny. That red-headed bitch didn't deserve someone as great as Dean. She didn't realise what she had, and that Kari would choose Dean over Harry any day,

As the pair left the library later that evening, Dean was in much higher spirits and Kari had begun to do the one of the things she swore she wouldn't after Martin.

Kari was putting her heart into a relationship, and for once, it didn't scare her.

* * *

It took a grand total of three months for Kari to admit to fancying Dean. It was the longest she had ever kept a potential relationship secret from even her closest girl friends. That in and of itself should have been a sign that this relationship –or possible relationship- was going to be different than all her others.

The truth had come during a muggle game called truth or dare that her roommate Ruth, the only muggle born in her dorm, insisted on playing against the protests of the rest of the group. Kari had never been good at lying; her face gave away her every thought and emotion. She had been asked who she fancied –because her roommates could tell that she did- and Kari had tried to brush it off as nothing. Eventually the four other girls who shared the small room were able to weasel out the truth.

That she had been planning on keeping her a crush was also a sign. She had always been beyond excited to let her friends now about whom she liked, who liked her, and who was taking her to Hogsmeade on the next possible outing. Kari was a self-proclaimed gossip who could never shut up and here she was trying to keep her mouth shut.

After her begrudging confession her friends began in on her in their usual pattern. 'When is he going to ask you out?' 'Are you going to ask him this time?' 'Have you seen him naked?' 'Has he seen you?' 'You two would be so incredibly cute together.' 'Do you want me to hook you two up?' It was always the same routine and Kari dodged them with the practice expertise of a seasoned professional.

It took Kari another month to finally admit her feelings to Dean and, much to her relief, he said he felt the same way and had just been too shy to ask her out. 'You are gorgeous, after all. Why would someone like you ever want to go out with me? You could have any guy you wanted!' Kari once again brushed off Dean's statements and instead set a date to spend some quality time down by the lake. The last Hogsmeade visit of the year had been a few weeks before, one last reprieve before the stress of examinations. However, that also meant that students with fledgling relationships would have to find other locals to start off their summer romances.

* * *

"He's fantastic! He's so sweet and he is always so chivalrous. He pulls out my chair for me and opens doors. He always makes sure I have everything I need and that I am always really happy! He is – he's the perfect guy; I can't believe how lucky I am!" Kari's fast paced and high-pitched speech made it nearly impossible to understand. She was beyond excited about how perfect Dean was. She couldn't believe Ginny had ever let him go but she was so happy that she did.

It had been nearly two months since Dean and Kari had started going out and everything up until that point had been, well, perfect. There was no better way to describe it. They had spent most of their time studying for exams, but doing it together made it so much more romantic for some reason. Dean was always ready to offer Kari help and talk her down from her panic attacks. He_ had _been in her position last year and knew all about the paralyzing fear that was O.W.L.s. She was so grateful for everything he gave her and felt very guilty that it been a less than equal relationship. She never seemed to be able to do anything for Dean, though he said that simply being in her company was enough for him.

Her friends always gagged at the candy-coated words Dean always seemed to be spewing –their words not hers-, but Kari could just tell they were all jealous because they didn't have a guy as great as him.

"You are beyond lucky Kar! I want a guy who would treat me like a queen. Life would be so perfect. You can never let him go, ok!" Becky, Kari's self-proclaimed best friend spoke wistfully from her position on Kari's bed. Becky was in Kari's dormitory and the two had basically been forced to spend nearly every hour of every day together. Kari found her reasonably bearable –more so than some of the other vapid girls that like to congregate around her- but that didn't mean she considered the incredibly clingy girl her best friend.

"I know! Dean's amazing! It sucks about this whole You-Know-Who thing though. He had to go into hiding and I won't be able to see him or talk to him at all next year."

"Well, at least you have him as yours for the time being. You can just think on how sweet and kind he is and everything will be ok."

"Yeah, I guess."

Kari really did have strong feelings about Dean. He was the perfect guy and anyone would be crazy to give him up. However, the nearly year long separation, the constant doubting if he was even still alive, and the struggle to just make it through a normal day at Hogwarts was having a heavy toll on Kari. She couldn't stand worrying about him on top of her family, her friends and herself; it was just too much.

Kari wasn't sure if her letter would reach him or if simply sending an owl after him would alert the snatchers to his presence, or if he was even still alive, but she needed to do it. She needed to get it off her chest. People would think she was selfish. They would say that she should have stayed and waited for him and fought against all that was going on at Hogwarts like Ginny Weasley was. But Kari couldn't. She didn't have trouble admitting that she wasn't as strong as the vivacious redhead. She didn't have the courage to continue on and fight under the enormous weight that was pulling her down. She had to loosen her load in the only way possible.

She cried while she wrote the letter, a few of her tears falling onto the thick parchment and smearing some of the intricately scripted letters. She couldn't help herself. She was experiencing more pain than she ever had when other boys dumped her, and she was doing it too herself. What was wrong with her?

* * *

_Dearest Dean,_

_It is with a heavy heart that I must write you this. Know that I truly cared for you, more than I ever cared about anyone else and that it is literally killing me to say this. I know you must be asking yourself why I am doing this if it is causing me more pain than I could ever dream possible. The truth is that having to worry about you, having to doubt your still beating heart, is causing mean equal amount of pain, but it seems much less bearable than this._

_I am very sorry if this letter does not find you well or if I cause you any harm or put you in any danger by writing this, but I need to say it. I am not strong enough, or brave enough to continue toiling under these emotions. I am so sorry I am not the girl you believed me to be._

_Dean, I don't think we should, see isn't the right word but it is the only one I can think of at the moment, each other anymore. Please find it in your heart to forgive me. I know that is a great task but I hope you can accomplish it._

_Wishing you all the best,_

_Karina_

* * *

When the war ended, Kari tried to stay away from Dean. She had let _him _go. She had been faced with a difficult situation and she had chosen the easy way out. She didn't deserve Dean; he was much too good for her. She had been telling herself that very thing the entire time they had been going out. However, Dean's smiling face had always been too hard to resist and she found herself believing that she could be better for him.

Her scapegoat, middle of a war, thinking completely of herself, break-up had been the final nail in her coffin. She would never be able to change. She would always be the same sad, pathetic, selfish girl who was way too vain for her own good. She would end up with someone equally as narcissistic and they would most likely end up killing each other because they believed they were the better one. It was a sad though, but Kari just had to accept it.

Dean didn't seem to see it that way. He kept seeking her out, trying to convince her that her flaws made her more human. Sure she was selfish and vapid, but she was also the most beautiful girl anyone had ever seen. She was on an equal level with Dean when she expressed her flaws instead of on the pedestal that everyone seemed to place her. Dean loved her because of her flaws.

"You will always be insanely striking yet vapid and conceited and I will always be too sweet for my own good and average looking. We are each other's perfect match. We have what the other is lacking. Together, we make a perfect person. If you were to be more like me or I was to be more like you, then there would be an unequal balance and our relationship would fall apart."

Kari couldn't argue with Dean's logic and, ten months after she had ended their relationship, Kari once again found herself being dotted upon by a guy who was much too good for her.

* * *

_To be continued…_

* * *

_**A/N: **__The end of this little look-see into Kari's past. Next chapter will be back to the current events of the story and don't worry Seamus and Lucy won't stay mad at each other for ever!_

_Please review *puppy dog face*_


	13. Chapter the Thirteenth

_**A/N: **__And now we return to our feature presentation. It was exactly three months ago today that I started this little project –it was originally supposed to be an oneshot but then a rapid plot bunny attacked and it expanded drastically upon my original thoughts._

_**Disclaimer: **__This world is JKR's and I am simply playing in it for a while!_

* * *

**Luck of the Irish**

**Chapter the Thirteenth**

* * *

_Meddle not in the affairs of the dragon; for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup._

_~Anonymous_

* * *

It had been several weeks since his blow-out with Lucy, and true to her word, Seamus hadn't seen head or tail of her since she had left the hallway in front of his flat. For Seamus, it seemed like an eternity, waiting for Lucy to forgive him, or come up with a punishment that would –in her mind- make them equal. While he waited, Seamus had come up with several things he would be willing to do just for the opportunity to see her face again. As each moment passed and the separation grew more and more, each suggestion became more and more desperate.

Seamus desperately missed Lucy's company. It was one of those things where you didn't realise what you have until it was gone. He had abused Lucy's friendship and was now paying the cost for it. Spending time with her had been an excellent distraction from the crushing depression that had been creeping in since he had heard about Kari's imminent wedding. Now with her presence no longer a constant part of his life, he no longer had a light to keep out the darkness. The only thing that was keeping him going was the time he spent with Kari. If he tried really hard, he could sometimes pretend that she wasn't getting married and that they were just planning a very extravagant party.

He was currently lying on his bed in his small muggle London flat staring at the ceiling and contemplating life, existence and whether or not he could ever forget Kari when a light knock sounded on his front door. He slowly pried himself off his bed, feeling very listless as of late. He contributed it to the fact that he wasn't sleeping much anymore because sleep only brought nightmares.

Finally he reached his door, the knocking now resembling angry pounding. He performed a quick spell to reveal the identity of his company –a habit he had picked up from his mother- and was rewarded with the information that it was Kari who was impatiently waiting on the other side. He took a moment to wonder on why she was there –they didn't have plans to meet until later that week. Finally, when Kari's pounding became so loud and urgent Seamus was afraid she would disturb his neighbours.

"What took you so long? It's not like your apartment is that large! I was waiting for like ten minutes! That's just impolite! Didn't your mother teach you anything?" Kari continued on scolding Seamus as she blew into his small apartment and began cleaning to give herself something to do. When Kari was experiencing any heightened emotion –be it immense sorrow, extreme joy, or considerable indignation- she cleaned. At that particular moment, Seamus wasn't complaining. He had never been the neatest person in the world and if she was willing to tidy up, he wasn't going to stop her.

After Kari had gone through his entire living room and was heading towards the bedroom, Seamus did step in. He may have been friends with Kari since he was eleven, but he still felt awkward about having her in his room. "Not that I don't appreciate seeing you, but why are you here?" he asked, placing a hand on her arm and steering her towards his newly uncontaminated couch.

"I can tell when something is bothering you and lately, you've been very distant and down. I mean, just now it took you an unnatural amount of time to answer the door. Tell me what's up and maybe I can help. I always say that if you're having a crappy day, let it all out."

Seamus was suddenly hit with a strong sense of déjà vu. He had heard that message, those words, spoken before. A stabbing sensation spread from deep inside him and rushed towards the surface, causing Seamus to double over, grabbing at his short sandy hair to try and alleviate some of the pain.

Kari was instantly by his side, rubbing soothing circles over his back and trying to get Seamus to open up about what was going on in his mind. Seamus tried to think, tried to figure out what was causing this all-consuming pain. Just as suddenly as the pain had arrived, it vanished, bringing with it a forgotten memory.

Just as he was about to gulp the alcoholic beverage, he felt a foreign pain in his upper bicep. He looked over at said arm and saw a short, chestnut haired girl, her fingers pinching the skin of his left bicep.

"What are you doing?" he questioned, not quite drunk enough that he started slurring his speech.

"Pinching you," the rosette stated simply as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. She had a strange accent that Seamus couldn't quite place and made her words sound even stranger to his inebriated mind. Seamus rolled his eyes.

"I meant, why are you pinching me?"

"If that's what you meant, that's what you should have said," the girl explained simply, tossing her hand over her shoulder and motioning for the bartender. Seamus knew he wasn't going to get anywhere with this girl, yet he still felt a compulsion to try. He waited for her to order her Guinness before beginning his assault.

"Well now I've asked you, so go on, answer it," he prodded.

"It's Saint Patrick's Day and you're not wearing green." She took a sip of her beer and waited for him to say something against her. "I'm Lucy, by the way. Lucy McCarthy and you are?" Seamus rolled his eyes again and didn't answer. He didn't care what the universe was trying to do to him. He was going to ignore this girl and enjoy his beer, no matter how chatty she got.

However, there was only so much talking any sane human could take and Lucy was getting close to passing that threshold. The short copper haired Lucy McCarthy, her incessant talking in her weird accent, and the fact that she couldn't take a hint, dug into Seamus like a small ice pick. With every unwanted word she spoke, the pick dug further and further into his side until the pain became unbearable.

"URRG! Look, I was trying not to be rude, but I really just want to sit here and drink my beer!" he shouted, slamming his glass down onto the wooden bar top causing some of the liquid to spill over the rim. "Alone," he added as an afterthought when Lucy didn't immediately leave.

Once again, she remained seated, staring at him with her large auburn eyes. "When I'm having a crappy," she paused in thought for a moment, "extended period of time, I find talking about it with someone always helps. That way, you're not the only person in the world carrying around your baggage. Also, if you tell your issues to a complete stranger, you don't have to worry about burdening them because, chances are, you're never going to see them again.

As the memory faded from Seamus' immediate thoughts, he did something he had never done in front of Kari –or any girl besides his mother. He broke down and cried, spilling the entire story –besides the fact that he was in love with her- about what was causing him this great beguile. He told Kari that he had recently –about fifteen years ago- fallen in love with this girl who didn't return his feelings. One night, while drowning his sorrows at a local pub, he had met an infuriating young woman who had promised to help distract him from his pain. He continued on with telling the tale of their first outing and concluded with his idiocy and their fight.

Kari was quite for a moment, digesting the information. When she had wrapped her head around everything her nearly lifelong friend had told her, she stood quickly, asking for this distraction girl's information. Seamus gave it to her reluctantly, inquiring as to what she was going to do with the information. Before he was able to get his answer, Kari had disappeared out his door leaving Seamus once again alone with his sorrows.

* * *

Lucy McCarthy was sitting in a small local coffee shop on a fairly busy corner of the Irish capital, a muggle novel clutched in her hands. She had spent the past few hours brainstorming torture activities she could inflict on Seamus when she came to the realisation that she didn't really want to hurt him. She may have been hurt by what he did, but she couldn't seem to stomach doing the same with him. Instead, she had decided to take her mind off of her woes by diving into the lives of some of the fictional characters created by her favourite author.

She was just getting absorbed into the main characters world when a loud voice above her drew Lucy right back out. She rolled her eyes, put her bookmark at her spot and looked up at whoever had just spoken, ready to give said person a piece of her mind. Lucy had many pet peeves, being interrupted while reading was in the top ten. Her eyes met deep pools of green on a face she didn't recognise. It only stalled her for a minute, taking her slightly by surprise that a stranger knew who she was.

"Can I help you?" she spoke, her voice dripping with contempt and sarcasm, "I obviously wasn't doing anything important."

"Hey, Lucy, I'm Kari. Ummm… Seamus' friend. I don't know if she's mentioned me…" the very pretty woman, who had no ability to pick up on blatant sarcasm or read a situation, hesitantly spoke.

"No, he's mentioned you. What can I do for you?" Lucy inquired, deciding that being mean to the woman Seamus was in love with wouldn't earn her any karma points. She would have to just pretend to like this girl or suffer the consequences.

"I don't know if you're aware, but your fight has had a really bad effect on him. He's like depressed and not sleeping. I came here to ask if there was anything I could do to reconcile you too. He's a really good friend of mine and I hate seeing him like this," Kari prattled on, taking the empty seat across from Lucy.

"Yeah well, he stood me up for a reason that I don't even think he's explained to me yet. Anyway, I told him that we needed our space and that I'd reconsider our friendship after being away from him for a while. But thanks for your input," Lucy replied, her nice façade cracking and her true personality showing a little bit. Kari began to speak again so Lucy raised her book and began to re-immerse herself in her book.

* * *

Seamus wasn't entirely sure how Kari had gotten him to the zoo. She had always been very persuasive, even to people who weren't madly in love with her. There wasn't a single person on Earth who could stand against Kari; if there was, he wanted to meet them and have them trade their secrets.

He spent a few moments wandering around, watching some of the more excited children take in all the animals. All the while, he was wondering when Kari would show herself. She had promised that she would meet him outside the snake exhibit at noon, which was now nearly forty minutes ago. He didn't want to wander to far away from the snakes, but at the same time, he also wanted to check the other areas around the zoo in case Kari had gotten caught up with another animal. She did have a relatively short attention span.

His stomach started sinking as the moments ticked by and the more he stood around, not really looking at the animals, the more he felt like a freak. People were probably wondering what a twenty-four-year-old was doing hanging around a zoo, especially one frequented by young children. The moments continued to pass and Seamus began to feel worse and worse. If this was how Lucy felt while waiting for him at the theatre, he felt really bad. He hated this feeling and swore he would never make any one feel like this again, especially Lucy.

As he waited for his friend to show –gradually believing he had been stood up- a groaning noise sounded loudly behind him. Turning slowly, not entirely sure what to expect, Seamus came face to face with the very girl who had occupied much of his thoughts for the past two and a half weeks.

"Hey Lucy," he spoke, not sure of where he stood with her.

"Well, I guess you now know what I felt like. Sucks to be stood up, huh?"

* * *

_To be continued…_

* * *

_**A/N: **__Unlucky chapter thirteen in an overly unlucky story! Hopefully you enjoyed it and can give me some feedback! Five more chapters and then this story will come to a close, anyone else a little sad? Oh and not sure if I mentioned their ages before, but as of right now Seamus & Dean are twenty four, Kari is twenty three, and Lucy is twenty two! If I did mention ages before (besides flashbacks) let me know so I can fix them to these ages :P_


	14. Chapter the Fourteenth

_**A/N: **__Sorry for the longer-than-normal wait. I had exams to study for but now that I am officially on summer vacation, updates should be once a week again :P And to all my fellow Canadians, a Happy Canada Day!_

_**Disclaimer: **__Nothing is mine, but I do own a ticket to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2. Anyone else crazy excited?_

* * *

**Luck of the Irish**

**Chapter the Fourteenth**

* * *

_You may not be able to change the world, but at least you can embarrass the guilty_

_~Jessica Mitford_

* * *

Seamus stood frozen in front of the snake enclosure, unable to decide on how best to respond to Lucy's biting words. He had already messed up once by saying the wrong thing. Being apart from Lucy for the last few weeks had been pure torture. He never wanted to go back to that again; he would do anything to stay in her good graces.

As the thoughts tumbled through his mind, everything suddenly became clear for the sandy haired Irish wizard. He knew exactly what to say to Lucy; he had really known what to say all along. Opening his mouth, Seamus did the one thing his mother had told him not to since he was a little boy. For the first time in many years, Seamus spoke the first thoughts that came to his mind.

Seamus had been raised to carefully think through his words before he spoke them. As a young child, Seamus had possessed a personality close to that of the small, brash rabbit in his younger muggle cousin's favourite cartoon movie. He often spoke whatever happened to be at the forefront of his mind at the time. It was a bad habit that had gotten him in a great deal of trouble. After an incident with a neighbourhood boy that ended with Seamus down a well, Seamus' mother took to constantly reminding him to think carefully about each word before he spoke it.

The lesson had been so well drilled into Seamus' mind that nowadays Seamus never spoke a single word before carefully thinking all its possible meanings and connotations through thoroughly. However, in this instance, the first things that came to mind were exactly what he needed to say.

"Lucy," he began somewhat hesitantly, "I am so sorry about everything I did and every negative emotion I made you feel. These past few weeks we've been apart have been absolute torture for me; I've really missed your friendship and your superb distracting skills. I will do anything to make sure we never have to face a separation like that. Just tell me what I can do to make up for everything I've done."

Seamus almost dropped down onto his knees to beg for her forgiveness but stopped himself because of the image that would create. Best not draw any unwanted attention in case Lucy got so upset she hexed him or something. A silence fell between the two as Lucy hopefully considered Seamus' words.

Abruptly and inexplicably, the Irish wizard found it very hard to look at Lucy. Instead, he took to observing the other patrons of the zoo. Families, friends, and couples milled around the various animal enclosures, happy and interested smiles on all of their faces. They didn't have a care in the world. Their friendships and/ or relationships weren't hanging by a thread like his was.

Finding the happiness in the zoo much too depressing, Seamus returned his line of vision to the woman who stood before him. Having not seen her in what felt like an eternity, Seamus expected Lucy to look at least a little different. Seamus discretely observed the beautiful woman only to find that she looked exactly the same.

Seamus was sure there were dark bags under his eyes from a lack of sleep. Over the past few days, Seamus was sure he had accumulated a total of seven hours of sleep. He had been finding it hard to shut his eyes. Sleep brought depressing dreams and nightmares about loosing everyone he cared for and being completely alone. Instead, Seamus was forced to stay awake for hours at a time and only catch a few minutes of sleep every once in a while.

He knew that his skin was paler than it had been the last time they had spoken. Seamus had become quite a recluse in the recent weeks, holing himself up in his flat with the curtains drawn and completely receding from society. He hadn't steeped outside of his flat until today except to buy groceries and toiletries. He hadn't even visited his parents, something he usually did at least twice a month.

And he was positive that he had lost at least the pounds –something that wasn't healthy considering he was already very thin and tall. He hadn't eaten a complete meal since his blow-out with Lucy, never feeling the drive to put food into his mouth.

Lucy showed none of these signs of personal neglect. In fact, her hair seemed more lustrous, her body seemed fitter, and she looked like she had been taking excellent care of herself. It was as if she had been unaffected by the separation.

As that thought crossed Seamus' mind, he felt his heart sink. If she had been unaffected by not seeing Seamus, why would she want him back in her life? All he had done for her was stand her up and made her feel unwanted. He wasn't worth her friendship. He was an awful person, not just to Lucy but to others as well. Hadn't he freaked out at Harry during their fifth year? A person he had spent a great deal of time with at school. They had slept in the same room for the past four years, and then, simply because the paper was calling the Potter crazy, Seamus no longer trusted his words. He was a truly awful friend and person.

Having come to this realisation, Seamus decided to speak up and end his friendship with Lucy. In the long run it would save her a lot of pain and discomfort. He didn't deserve to have someone as fantastic as Lucy in his life. He opened his mouth to begin speaking but was beaten to the act by Lucy.

"I missed you, too. You have no idea how much! Ireland just wasn't the same without you as my tour guide. It was boring and mundane and monochromatic without your stories and input. These past few weeks without you have been crazy lame.

"That being said, you did stand me up and make me look like a fool. That really hurt me and I'm not the type of gal who can just forget what happened and forgive someone like that," she snapped her fingers to emphasise her point. "I'm the type of person who needs the other person to feel what I did before I can truly accept their apology. And, while your friend Kari may have given you a small taste of how crappy I felt, I don't think it was quite enough."

Lucy moved closer to Seamus and whispered her plan into his ear. The already pale Seamus whitened to something akin to a brand new piece of paper. He seriously hoped that this would get him back in Lucy's good books.

* * *

Seamus parleyed an agreement with Lucy that he would do what she asked but only after having consumed a decent amount of alcohol. Lucy found this proposition reasonable, agreeing that no sane person would even consider what she had suggested without at least a few drinks in his or her system. It was for that reason that Seamus and Lucy returned to the bar where they first met for its weekly 'Karaoke Night'.

After intake a fairly large quantity of vodka and Guinness, Seamus put his name down on the sign up sheet and awaited his turn at the mic. After a few drunken singers had their turn, Seamus' name was called and he confidently sauntered up to the small stage. He made his song choice –pre-chosen for him by Lucy- and got ready to make a complete fool out of himself.

The lyrics appeared on the small television screen as the country guitar riffs filled the air.

"Let's go girls," Seamus spoke, his voice free of any slurs, despite the amount of liquor in his system. As the words left his mouth, heads snapped to the small stage. Soon, every single body in the entire bar was staring at Seamus with expectant looks, all curious as to which man had the balls –or the high intoxication levels- to sing that particular song.

Seamus continued on as if he was singing in the privacy of his own home, blocking out the faces of the onlookers in an attempt to get through the song without fainting from embarrassment.

"Goin' out tonight, feel' all right. Gonna let it all hang out."

Cheers came from the drunker patrons and Seamus' confidence was boosted slightly. He began to get into the song a little more, bopping his head in tune to the song. As the song progressed and more audience members began cheering on the brave sole on stage, Seamus began to feel less and less awkward.

"Come, come, come on baby! I feel like a woman!" Seamus finished the song with a flourish and a bow and was met with rousing applause. Embarrassing himself to even out the score with Lucy hadn't been that bad. However, that assessment was made while under the influence of alcohol and poor bar lighting. If one of the patrons were to walk up to him on the street the day after, Seamus' opinion would drastically change.

The Irish man sauntered off the stage and rejoined Lucy at their table, a goofy smile plastered on his face. Lucy rolled her eyes at him.

"You know, this whole Karaoke experience was supposed to embarrass you to an extent similar –if not worse- to what I felt. Going from your punch-drunk look, I don't know if I accomplished that. Maybe I should try something else…" Lucy trailed off and brought her index finger to her chin in a pondering gesture.

Seamus, not wanting to experience something like that again, was instantly on the defensive. "I may not be embarrassed by that song at this very moment, but I will definitely feel it in the morning. I have the luxury of being drunk right now and not caring about what I look like at the moment. When I've sobered up, I can tell you I will definitely care."

Lucy smiled at the sandy haired male before ordering a round of drinks for the table, a sign that she had finally forgiven him. For the first time in a while, things seemed to be looking up for the unlucky Irish man.

* * *

_To be continued…_

* * *

_**A/N: **__I hope you liked the confrontation and embarrassing Karaoke night. The song, for those of you unsure, was "Man! I Feel Like a Woman" by Shania Twain. I think it would be an embarrassing/ awkward song for a guy to sing!_

_Oh, and the "small, brash rabbit in his younger muggle cousin's favourite cartoon movie" that was used to explain Seamus' personality it Thumper from Bambi!_

_Tell me what you thought in a review! I'd really appreciate it!_

_Only four more chapters!_


	15. Chapter the Fifteenth

_**Disclaimer: **__I've been hoping and praying for it, but sadly I don't own Harry Potter. Darn!_

* * *

**Luck of the Irish**

**Chapter the Fifteenth**

* * *

_Love is patient, love is kind, love is slowly loosing your mind_

_~James Marsden_

* * *

After the embarrassing Karaoke incident, Seamus was happy to report that his life seemed to be taking a turn for the better. He had finally made up with Lucy and they had once again begun their distraction excursions. The dark, depressing cloud that had settled over the wizard had dissipated and the sun was now shining. Seamus had even begun to enjoy the wedding planning with Kari and Dean.

Today he and the ever allusive Suzie –Kari's maid of honour- were joining the happy couple to help finalize the menu. Seamus had initially been invited when Suzie had been too sick to help, but she had quickly recovered and retaken her place as maid of honour. The catering trip had been one of the only wedding planning events that Seamus was looking forward to. As a result, he pulled his best man card and talked Dean into letting him come along. Who in their right mind would willingly give up free food?

The foursome walked into the brick fronted building of a small London catering company. Dean, Seamus, and Suzie – a petite brunette with small brown eyes Seamus recalled from Hogwarts- took a seat in the waiting room while Kari went to let the people know they had arrived. The three lapsed into silence; Seamus and Dean didn't know all that much about Suzie. They wanted to pick a topic that wouldn't offend Suzie, but that would also allow her to be included. Luckily, the two were saved from having to come up with a fairly generic topic by the return of Kari. Standing behind her in a white coat and hat was –what Seamus could only guess- the head chef.

"Follow me," the white-coated man spoke in a heavy French accent. He came off as very pretentious; something Seamus thought seemed to be a running theme throughout the wedding. He kept that observation to himself to avoid the wrath of an angry Kari. She may have been small, but she could pack a punch.

The foursome was seated at an elegantly dressed table. Bone china and expensive glassware were joined by every utensil imaginable. Seamus, in his muggle jeans and T-shirt felt very under dressed. He wasn't given much time to think about that fact. Only seconds after they were all seated, four people –three men and one woman- dressed in spotless white chefs' coats entered the small dining space. Each had a silver covered food platter in their hands. At the snap of the head chef's fingers, the man on the far right stepped forward and opened his tray.

A delicious, slightly fishy, smell wafted over the four as the head chef began explaining what was being presented to them. Seamus was bale to hear that it was crab, but the rest was lost to him in a mixture of fancy herbs and French words. Not entirely sure what it was he was putting in his mouth, Seamus took a hesitant first bite. As the crab –and what ever else- passed over his tongue, Seamus was treated to the most tantalizing flavour experience he had ever partaken in. It was the perfect mixture of tastes and textures; not one taste of consistency overpowered the other.

The rest of the afternoon passed in much the same fashion. They were given small bites of extravagant appetizers, soups, salads, mains, and deserts, taking careful notes on each. After two hours of tasting, Kari and Dean had nailed down their menu and Seamus felt very stuffed. The group thanked the employees; Kari gave them a few last things to remember and checked over all the details. However, the more Kari talked the more she seemed to remember tiny details that were not even a small amount important to the wedding as a whole.

Ever since Seamus had started helping Kari, he had begun to notice how nervous about all the little, even insignificant details she was getting. Normally, Kari was more about the big picture than the individual pixels. The wedding was changing her.

Dean seemed to have noticed the same thing. After Kari checked over everything for a third time, Dean stepped forward and grabbed his fiancée's hand. Pulling gently and whispering comforting words, Dean led the near frantic brunette out of the building.

Once outside in the summer sun, Kari's head began to clear. She took a few calming breaths before standing to face Seamus and Suzie who had decided to stand off to the side and give the couple some space. They moved forward slowly and then embraced the young woman in a comforting hug.

As Seamus wrapped his arms around Kari's slender frame, an odd thing happened. When he was younger, the Irish man would have been unable to hug Kari without his heart racing and his face flushing. This time he experienced neither. The once obvious physical signs of his infatuation with Kari were mysteriously gone. Once the hug ended, Seamus expertly hid his confusion –a skill he had developed after hiding his feelings from Kari for years.

The group parted at the corner and Seamus headed for the nearest tube station, the lack of response plaguing his mind.

* * *

After spending the afternoon tasting the most delicious food ever to pass into his mouth, Seamus was left with a little over an hour to prepare for his evening excursion with Lucy. The Canadian born witch had insisted –much like a small child- that she needed to take a ride on the infamous Ferris wheel, the London Eye. After Seamus had admitted that he had never ridden the attraction either, Lucy had insisted upon a visit. The two also planned to wander throughout the shops situated in and around Piccadilly Circus before looking for a place to eat dinner. The more Seamus thought about their plans, the more they seemed liked plans a couple would make for a date. A smile crossed his face; he wasn't entirely sure why.

Why would labelling their plans with the term 'date' make him happier than just calling it an excursion or an outing? Why did it matter? Could he possibly be falling for Lucy? Was he no longer in love with Kari? Was that why he hadn't responded when he hugged her?

He had no answers to any of those questions. Not yet, anyway. He couldn't decide on his feelings just from his memories. He needed to see Lucy, to interact with her, to really know. Otherwise, it would be his image of her that he was deciding on. His thoughts wouldn't have been able to accurately portray the complicated personality that was Lucy. She had faults he would likely gloss over and quirks he would never remember. He chose to wait to decide.

When Lucy arrived at his flat at the prearranged time, Seamus had made a plan to play it cool and appear as if there wasn't anything bothering him. Then he would observe Lucy with his possible feelings in mind. After an evening of time spent in her company, Seamus would surely have answers to all his questions.

The pair Apparated to an alleyway near the London Eye and then made their way towards the Ferris wheel. A pleasant, friendly conversation was held between the two as they walked along the muggle streets. When they reached the Thames, a fairly large line winding its way toward the London Eye made itself apparent. Seamus was about to complain about the long wait that met them when he noticed Lucy's eyes. They were shimmering with pure joy and excitement. For her, the length of the wait didn't matter; she just wanted to ride. A smile that matched Lucy's crossed Seamus' face. In that moment, as he watch Lucy's face glow and her speech become rapid with anticipation, he had the answer to his question.

Seamus Finnigan was indeed falling for Lucy McCarthy.

* * *

Seamus made it through the night, but only just. There had been several times when Seamus was sure he had given himself away. He was sorely out of practice at hiding his feelings; he hadn't been spending much time around Kari after deciding it would be easier to avoid her. As a result, he had made some very avoidable flubs.

Once they had finally made it all the way to the front of the line and embarked on the Ferris wheel, Seamus had almost sat right next to Lucy. He knew that would be perceived as weird, seeing as they were just friends and they had the entire space to themselves. Friends didn't usually sit that close unless they absolutely had to.

The ride passed in amicable silence only broken by excited and mesmerized comments from Lucy. Seamus couldn't enjoy the view of London by night; he was too busy trying to control his quickly raging emotions. He had nearly jumped out the moment the ride ended, but thought that would also look unusual.

Taking to the streets provided new issues as Seamus had to desperately fight against his muscles that screamed out that they wanted to hold Lucy's hand. Dinner was reasonably easy. They sat on different sides of the table and spent most of the time eating. Once finished, Seamus bid a swift adieu before running back to his apartment. He didn't want to just Apparate there, he wanted the time to think that running provided him.

He decided one thing while running. He wasn't going to be silent this time. He wasn't going to wait on the sidelines like he had with Kari. The first opportunity he had, he was going to confess his feelings consequences be damned!

* * *

_To be continued…_

* * *

_**A/N: **__The one thing that I've been building up to for this entire story, Seamus is falling for Lucy! Eeek!_

_Next chapter will bring some drama, a mistaken interaction, and Lucy's thoughts and feelings about Seamus! Stay tuned and please review this chapter! I want to know what you're thinking._


	16. Chapter the Sixteenth

_**Disclaimer: **__Still don't own Harry Potter, but I do own tickets to the movie for tonight!_

* * *

**Luck of the Irish**

**Chapter the Sixteenth**

* * *

_From error to error, one discovers the truth_

_~Sigmund Freud_

* * *

It took about a week for Seamus to fully form his plan of going about revealing his feelings to Lucy. He had never been great with words. He usually couldn't just speak his mind. The one time he had, it was met with good results, but Seamus was still apprehensive. He hadn't been having the greatest luck as of late; he wouldn't risk the possibility of making a fool out of himself. Not when this was so very important.

After a week of deciding on his words, Seamus was confident with what he wanted to say. He hoped he would adequately portray exactly how he felt, that this was something he was sure would last and not just a fleeting feeling. He especially needed Lucy to know that because he wanted –no needed- her to stay. If he didn't let her know how strongly he felt –if he didn't give her a reason to stay- she would head back to Canada in two weeks time as she had originally planned. He was sure he wouldn't survive having another girl slip through his grasp. If Lucy rejected him, he was sure he'd crawl up into a ball and die.

Deciding not to think about the darker side of things, Seamus steeled himself for what he was about to do. He needed to keep his nerves in check or they might ruin all of his careful planning. He needed to make sire his words came out correctly, were taken to mean what he wanted them to, and were indeed the right words. He needed Lucy to feel the same way.

He made his way towards the door, exuding a confidence he hadn't felt in many years. When he opened the door to leave, a surprise greeted him.

"Kari? What are you doing here?"

* * *

Lucy sat in her hotel room and stared up at the moon, wondering. She was wondering what her mother was doing. Did she miss her daughter? Had these past few months been as hard on her as they were on Lucy? Of all the people in the young witches' life, her mother was the single most important person. It had been just the two of them for basically Lucy's entire life. Her uncle came by four or five times a month and she visited her grandparents at least once a year, but other than that, the two McCarthy women had essentially been by themselves. Her mother was a huge part of her life and it had been very hard to leave her, even if for only a few months.

She had come to Ireland to experience new things, to gain worldly knowledge, but those first few days away from her mother had nearly torn her in two. After wallowing in self-pity for several days, Lucy decided she needed to get drunk, leave her sorrows behind and start experiencing Ireland. It was for that reason that she walked into the pub, decked in her best green dress and other St. Patrick's Day embellishments, with the intentions of fully celebrating the Irish holiday. As she began reminiscing about that particularly eventful night, her thoughts shifted from longings about her mother to happiness about her life since then, mainly a certain sandy-haired Irish man.

She wondered about Seamus. What was he doing right then? Was he thinking about her? When she had first met Seamus at the bar and he had spilled his dark secret to her, she felt an instant kinship towards him. They were both in pain and in need of some distractions. Lucy had gone into each distraction hoping to keep her mind from her mother as well as help Seamus. On that first day, that had been her sole focus, but then she found herself opening up to him. She had told him some of her best kept secrets, things she had only told Erica, her best friend.

As the days went by, she began to think and worry about her mother less and less. Seamus became the sole focus of her thoughts each night before she fell into a blissful sleep. The hole in her heart that had been created by venturing so far away from her mother was filled with Seamus.

Lucy sat bolt upright. That couldn't be right! She couldn't have filled the hole created by the absence of her mother's love with a boy she had only met a few months before! She didn't let people become that close to her. She was very guarded because people had always left her just when she was starting to get used to them. The only person who hadn't abandoned her had been her mother.

There was no way she was falling for Seamus. It just didn't happen.

* * *

After the initial shock settled in, Seamus took a moment to fully take in the woman before him. The normally impeccably put together Kari was not the woman standing in his doorway. This woman looked like she hadn't showered in weeks and had slept on the street for a long while. Her hair was matted and messy, sticking up in very different directions. Her make-up was smudged and running and she looked as if she had slept with it on the night before. Her clothes were baggy, torn, and stained. There was something very wrong with Kari and seeing her in this state, Seamus instantly reverted back into his caring friend mode.

Leaving his previous plan on the backburner for the moment, Seamus invited Kari in and instructed her to take a seat on the couch. He quickly entered his small kitchen and began looking for the ingredients and tools he would need to prepare Kari's favourite tea –lavender and camomile with a small splash of milk and a generous heaping of honey. His mother had repeatedly told him that tea was best for creating comfort and –for the time being- healing nearly all emotional pains. Over the years, Seamus had come to doubt his mother on this sole point. Chocolate seemed to work better for him. Unfortunately, he was out of the bitter-tasting dark delight and had to hope he was different than Kari and his mother's words rang true for her.

Having accomplished this task, Seamus carefully made his way into his living room, trying not to spill the steaming beverage. He had never quite mastered hovering charms –whatever object he lifted always wobbled slightly. When he rested the tea on the table in front of Kari, he turned his attention to the petite woman sitting on his ratty couch. She looked utterly defeated; her eyes –once vibrant pools of green- had turned to resemble a lifeless grey.

"Kar," Seamus began carefully, sitting beside her and placing a comforting hand on her upper thigh, "What's wrong?" A silence lapsed between the two as Seamus waited and Kari continued staring at her hands. Seamus knew he would need to do a bit more prying before Kari opened up. "Come on Kari, tell me. I'll listen. I'll sympathize. I'll do whatever you want of me. All you have to do is tell me what's wrong."

Finally, Kari slowly raised her lifeless eyes to Seamus, staring into his and pleading for him to understand the words she couldn't seem to vocalize. Whatever was bothering her was emotional or psychological, something she hadn't quite grasped completely…

Seamus' thoughts were halted before he could go any further.

Kari had suddenly closed the gap between the two and pressed her soft lips to his slightly chapped ones.

* * *

Lucy had long since given up on sleep. Her mind had instantly become overrun with the implications from the revelation. After fighting with her self for a fair amount of time and trying to convince herself that it wasn't true, she had come to realise that she was falling for Seamus.

But what did that mean for her? She couldn't do a long distance relationship, not with over 6600 km between them. It was too far a distance to simply Apparate and owls would take close to a week to deliver a single letter. It would be too difficult.

The only other option was that one of them to uproot their lives and move. Looking at it as a completely objective third party with absolutely no interest in the matter, Lucy could see that it would be easier for her than for Seamus. He had more friends and family in the United Kingdom. His life was more tied down than hers. The only thing that was holding her back was her mother. However, once Lucy put herself back in the equation, she realised –as the old cliché dictated- it was easier said than done. She couldn't just move away from her mother like that. There was too much emotion in it. She couldn't uproot her life, not for someone she wasn't sure even liked her.

She sat bolt upright and quickly cast a charm to locate her shoes. There was no use even contemplating how to further a relationship she wasn't even sure existed. She'd have to go talk with Seamus and ascertain where he stood on the matter. Finally finding her shoes buried in a large pile of dirty clothes she was putting of cleaning, Lucy spun on the spot. With a small pop not heard outside her hotel room walls, the young auburn haired witch vanished.

* * *

As the compressing tension faded, Lucy took quick stock of her surroundings. She found herself in a deserted children's playground just down the street from Seamus' flat. Being after midnight, the streets were empty and Lucy had no worry of being spotted suddenly materialising. She straightened out her overlarge sleeping shirt and small shorts before setting off into the warm summer night.

She arrived outside the old musty building five minutes later and silently unlocked the door with a swish of her wand. She avoided the buzzer knowing the walls of Seamus' apartment were extremely thin and a neighbour would certainly hear it. Lucy climbed the stairs two at a time, reaching his door in record time. She found it slightly ajar; a sight that instantly sent chills of panic down her spine.

Taking out her wand from beneath her shirt, the short haired woman cautiously moved through the doorway. Once she had cleared the old metal door, she froze. The sight that met her eye had not been at all what she was expecting, but it did answer her question. Having acquired everything she need, Lucy turned on the spot and vanished once more.

* * *

_To be continued…_

* * *

_**A/N: **__I really hope you liked this chapter. Tell me what you thought, but before you get all mad at me (especially since I was so close to getting Lucy and Seamus together) take the quote that opened this chapter to heart. Errors are an important thing in this chapter!_

_And on a sad note, only one more chapter and an epilogue before this story is finished. That means that this story will be finished by the end of July! Having said that, I am leaving on vacation tomorrow for the next two weeks and am not entirely sure if I will be able to connect to the internet the entire time. I will continue writing and will get the last two updates to this story online as fast as possible._

_One last thing, please review!_


	17. Chapter the Seventeenth

_**A/N: **__ Sorry for this really late update. I went on vacation like I said and was once again faced with the fact that I don't like writing around my grandparents. Then I started writing this and I had some minor bouts of writer's block, coupled with the fact that this chapter turned into a massive ordeal: it got very long so I decided to split it. The good news about all of this, I'm basically done both halves –just need to type them up- and I promise the minute I have the second chapter on my computer, it will be updated for your reading pleasure. _

_**Disclaimer: **__Nothing is mine._

* * *

**Luck of the Irish**

**Chapter the Seventeenth**

* * *

_Tears are the words the heart can't express._

_~Anonymous_

* * *

Lucy was lucky to have made it back to Ireland without splinching herself, given her current state of mental distress. She took a moment of sullen celebration, almost sarcastically commenting on her "luck". Her mother had always told her to never forget about the small victories because sometimes those were all you were given. Odds were, she wouldn't become famous, find a cure for lycanthropy, save the wizarding world from peril, or invent some infamous spell. She'd have small victories like helping a couple of people with an issue, mastering a tricky spell or charm, or Apparating while upset and still having enough control to not splinch herself. That was all her life would amount to, so she should get used to it.

Her mother had never been much if a dreamer, When Lucy was younger she had wondered if her mother had been burned by a dream, but hours of exhaustive research hadn't overturned anything. Lucy just figured her mother had always been that practical. Lucy had tried to be that practical, had tried to celebrate her latest accomplishment, but she was far too upset about what she had just witnessed.

On one level, she was hurt. She knew she had no right to be –though this insight was located on a much lower level that was sometimes hard to reach. No feelings had been expressed by either party about the other; as far as Seamus was concerned, they were just friends. He could kiss whomever he wanted and Lucy had no real say in the matter. She shouldn't fell hurt because of what she saw, yet she still did.

On another level was complete indignation. Identifying her hurt feelings on the first level allowed her to feel for others after that. She couldn't believe Seamus would have kissed Kari. He had, essentially, thrown away over ten years of friendship for a girl. Dean would be devastated. It just wasn't right. Normal, nice people didn't do things like that. In Lucy's opinion, such an act was something easily found in either a complete narcissist or a psychopath.

The third level closely followed the second and was focused on many of the questions that had arisen. Lucy couldn't admit to knowing everything about Seamus, but from what she did know, this action seemed severely out of character. Lucy had spent much time with Seamus and was condiment in saying that he didn't appear to be either narcissistic or psychotic. He seemed to generally care for others and had cultivated many solid friendships. Not the typical behaviour of either previously mentioned characteristic.

For another thing, she had met Seamus while he was facing a great inner turmoil over friendship versus love. His actions from earlier in the day did not make sense with a man experiencing turmoil. Seamus' actions suggested he didn't care at all for his friend. What had changed? Then there was the fact that Seamus was best man at his friends' wedding. Had he only agreed in order to get closer to Kari, to possibly steal her away? None of it made any sense with the image of Seamus Lucy possessed.

As Lucy contemplated each new layer, felt each new emotion in turn, she made a decision. It didn't matter if she hadn't spoken her feelings to Seamus. It didn't matter if he didn't reciprocate them. It didn't even matter if the actions of Seamus didn't agree with her mental image of him. She could no longer feel anything for him. He obviously felt nothing for her and continuing on her current path would certainly lead to heartbreak. She would forget her bonds forged in the greenery of Ireland, and return, instead to the one bond that would never break or cause her any pain –her mother.

With that decision, Lucy began packing her meagre possessions and attempting to rid a certain light haired wizard from her mind. A single tear slipped from her shimmering eyes before she could stop it.

* * *

It took all of thirty seconds for Seamus' mind to begin functioning again. He had waited for years to feel Kari's lips on his. He had imagined the way their lips would meld together, beginning an intricate dance. His heart would flutter rapidly against his rib cage and fireworks would explode before their eyes and above their heads. Life would be perfect.

In reality, the only thing Seamus felt, the only thought racing through his mind, was that this was wrong. It shouldn't be Kari who was kissing him. She should be kissing Dean and Seamus should be kissing -. He stopped himself. He _shouldn't _be kissing anyone, but he certainly _wanted_ to kiss the utterly infuriating auburn haired foreigner.

However, before he could pull away, Kari ended their connection, jumped up from the couch and ran towards Seamus' bathroom. He, on the other hand, remained on the couch, too stunned to move, as the door to his bathroom shut quietly and the locking mechanism sounded. It wasn't until the echo of heart wrenching sobs reached him that he moved.

Still slightly shocked, Seamus' movements where robotic and not entirely under his control. Before he knew it, he was standing before his white bathroom door and knocking quietly. He awoke the instant the barrier was pulled away and Kari's red, puffy face filled the space.

"Kar," Seamus began, only concern filling his voice. Before he could begin to inquire into her well-being, the dark haired beauty cut him off. She raised her hand, asking for silence, and then took a moment to wipe the tears from her eyes and collect herself.

"I'm so sorry, Seamus. You must think I'm a whore or a bitch or something akin to that. Here I am, on the night before my wedding, kissing another man. And to make matters worse, said man is my fiancé's best friend and his best man! God! I'm awful! A low-life piece of shit! I don't fucking deserve any-god-damned-thing!" With each self-deprecating word Kari spoke, she became more and more hysterical until she could no longer speak. Tears flowed openly down her cheeks and sobs racked her petite form.

"Kar, I don't think you're a slut. You are not a piece of shit and you do deserve happiness," Seamus responded, trying to remember each shot Kari had taken at herself. When his words failed to quash her sobs, Seamus brought her into a comforting hug and attempted to sooth her with small words of praise and encouragement. After fair amount of time, Kari once again took control of her sobbing.

"Why are you so nice to me? I don't deserve it after what I did…" Kari trailed off as tears once again formed in the corners of her eyes. Seamus quickly intervened before she once again dissolved into uncontrollable tears.

"Because I love you, Kar," Seamus replied. He had wanted to tell her those three little words since they first met and she had unabashedly ripped him from his comfort zone. However, the words were not spoken by a lover, filled with complete and honest adoration. When Seamus finally told Kari how he felt about her, it was backed with a sense of nothing but friendship or familial love. What an interesting turn he had taken these last few months.

* * *

Kari stared up at Seamus' warm comforting face as he tightly held her to him in a supportive embrace. Not his friendship. Not his comfort. Not his understanding. And definitely not his love. She had used his friendship, betrayed his best friend and, when this got out, -which it inevitably would- destroyed a decade long friendship. Seamus knew all this, and yet he kept trying to make her feel better. She couldn't stand it.

She tried to pry herself out of Seamus' embrace but he was much stronger. Every time she'd press against him, he would pull her closer until he was basically squeezing the breath from her lungs and Kari couldn't move her arms. She relaxed in defeat and, for a short moment, allowed Seamus to comfort her.

"Now tell me what's got you all upset." Kari gazed up at Seamus in disbelief. He knew why she was upset! Why was he asking her that? Seamus, obviously sensing the outraged confusion, quickly backtracked. "I meant, when you showed up here. You were upset. You weren't yourself and that's why you… well you know.

Kari was a little startled. With her recent inappropriate behaviour, she had completely forgotten why she had come in the first place. She bit her lip and searched her mind for something that would clue her in. Silence lapsed between the two as Kari overturned mental rocks and shook out phrenic boxes. Finally, on a small, torn piece of paper that fluttered out of a very full carton, Kari found her answer.

_Cold feet. Reassurance. Are you really good for Dean?_

Those few thoughts had been keeping Kari awake, and she had come to Seamus, a man who never judged her, for some reassurance. She wasn't worried about Dean not loving her or that she would never get to be with another man. She knew Dean was the love of her life, the man she had been trying to find for the first part of her life. What she wasn't confident in was if she was good enough for Dean.

Dean Thomas was an amazing man. He was kind, generous, and helpful; he was always willing to help those less fortunate or more downtrodden than himself. He listened when Kari spoke. He fought bravely against Lord Voldemort. He never turned his back on a friend. To Kari, he was walking, talking perfection and she had more flaws than Swiss cheese had holes.

She had just been listing all her flaws and how she always ruined the good things when Seamus sat down with her tea. She hadn't even realised what she was doing. It was as if her body was trying to prove her head right. Once again she was sabotaging herself. She was worthless. She merited nothing in life. In a twisted way, she was glad for her sabotage. At least this way Dean could find someone just as fantastic as he was.

And with that, Kari once again dissolved into tears.

* * *

While Lucy had set her mind on leaving Ireland as soon as she possibly could, it seemed the universe had other plans. She had packed her bag in record time and left the room with every intention of checking out. She was stopped at the elevator by an out of order sign and had to struggle down the stairs. A levitation charm would have alleviated most of the effort but she didn't want to get caught doing magic by a muggle. It took her twenty minutes to wrestle her suitcase to the lobby, and when she got there, another hitch set her back. Being nearly three am, the hotel had closed its concierge desk, believing no one would need assistance in the middle of the night. It wouldn't open up for another two and a half hours.

Lucy groaned at her rotten luck but took a seat in the large leather chairs situated around the lobby and waited.

* * *

It took several more hours and an early morning visit to Dean, but Seamus was eventually able to calm Kari down and convince she was good enough for Dean. The first few hours, Seamus spent attempting to back Kari away from the precipice of hysterics she was teetering on. He gave her tea –which seemed to work on calming- spoke praises and encouragement to her, let her talk through all her issues, and occasionally cry to release her pent up emotions. Once he got her under control, Seamus realised that he alone wouldn't be able to affirm that Dean would still want to marry her. Kari would need to hear those words from her fiancé's own mouth.

Seamus had decided that telling Kari of his plans would surely cause her to run for the hills –not a good thing at all. Instead, Seamus told Kari that maybe some fresh air would do her some good. It took a fair amount of convincing to even get Kari to consider that; she figured she was already seeing clear enough. Why would she need to go and clear her thoughts if they were already as translucent as distilled water? However, Seamus did eventually succeed in getting Kari out of the house. Seamus took Kari's arm and began subtly leading her down the few streets that connected Seamus' ramshackle flat to Dean's marginally cleaner humble abode. Kari was so completely lost in her own thoughts that she didn't even realise where Seamus was taking her until they were standing in front of the large, modern building.

Kari turned and looked at Seamus, but didn't speak. Instead, she took a few shaky steps forward and pushed the buzzer for Dean's apartment.

* * *

_To be continued…_

* * *

_**A/N: **__Part one of the last chapter… man my plans never work out for this story. I promise you this though: there will be one more actual chapter and then an epilogue. The next chapter should be up shortly after this (give me about a day) and the epilogue very closely after that because it's going to be fairly short._

_Please do me the amazing honour of reviewing my story! It'll be fantastic!_


	18. Chapter the Eighteenth

_**Disclaimer: **__Sadly, JKR owns the rights to Harry Potter… not fair_

* * *

**Luck of the Irish**

**Chapter the Eighteenth**

* * *

_The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and let it come in._

_~Morrie Schwartz_

* * *

By the time the concierge finally arrived at the desk around five that morning, Lucy already knew that her plan to quickly leave Ireland was slowly unraveling. Sometime around three that morning, while waiting for the concierge to appear Lucy decided it would be a good idea to at least get her transportation out of the country under control. The Atlantic was much too far a distance to simply Apparate; she'd need to use a Portkey and Portkeys required going to the Ministry of Magic to request one. So she found a secluded corner of the lobby –not a difficult task considering it was completely empty- and vanished into the night.

When she arrived at the visitor's entrance, and descended through the small telephone booth, a sinking feeling spread from the pit of her stomach to her extremities. The lobby was –like the hotel- completely empty save for a night watchman. Not knowing this building like the Canadian one in Ottawa, she walked up to the lightly snoozing guard and asked him to direct her to the Portkey office.

"Level six, the lady in the elevator will tell ya' that if ya' ferget. I don known how much help they'll be though. Offices don open 'til 'round eight."

Lucy thanked the man for his help, though she would have much rather wrung his neck to alleviate some of the growing frustration. Nothing was working out for her! She would come back at eight and be met with an insanely long line and then have to convince the department to authorize a trans-Atlantic Portkey before the afternoon was over. Luck was not on her side.

She Apparated back to the small corner of the hotel where she had originally left, and returned to the seat she had previously occupied. She dug through her bags and pulled out a pad of paper. Writing had always helped her get out her emotions. She began by writing a very angry, very upset letter to Seamus in which she expressed everything on her mind. With each stroke of her quill, as each elegantly scripted word appeared on the page, the building frustration slowly ebbed away until Lucy felt only a fraction of the emotion. She finished the letter, but didn't read it over. Instead she threw it in the nearest bin and started another letter.

Near the end of her previous letter, she had come to realise that she couldn't just leave the British Isles without saying goodbye to Seamus. She couldn't do it in person because she was sure she'd either break down in sobs or lash out at him. Neither were good options. Instead, she chose to write a letter. Much safer.

* * *

As Seamus stood before the mirror, ensuring his suit looked immaculate, he wondered to himself, if there were such things as friendship awards, how many he would have. It seemed that every single time Kari had any type of problem be it with a friend or a boyfriend or some emotional trauma, Seamus was always the one responsible for riddling out a response and calming over the catastrophe. He would most definitely have at least a small trophy case's worth.

Seamus straightened his tie with one final flourish and turned his attention to the rest of the room. It was a small dressing area –really a small dining area- with minimal decorations. When set up for dining, it was probably a very beautiful room, but the hotel obviously didn't want to waste any extra expenses on groomsmen –which consisted of Dean`s two younger brothers and Seamus. It was obviously a good decision on the hotel's part because the room was now covered with stray pieces of clothing, food, and bottles of Firewhiskey. It was a stereotypical bachelor pad.

Seamus hadn't really spent much time thinking about the mess until a knock at the door caused one of Dean's brothers to open the door and reveal the Irish man's mother. Throughout his entire youth, his mother had always ensured Seamus picked up after himself and kept his room nearly immaculately clean. Having his mother see a room buried in clothes and the like sent shivers down his spine. He subconsciously attempted to hide some of the mess with his body as he went to greet his mother. However, after they exchanged their hellos, Seamus could just see the disapproving look entering his mother's eyes. He hurriedly thought of something to stop his mother before she started yelling at him for being such a slob or –worse than that- she started cleaning.

"Hey, mum, why don't we talk outside, leave this gents to their dressing?" His mother didn't appear to want to leave at first, but eventually conceded. However, before Seamus could get his mother completely out of the door, she turned to talk to Dean.

"Congratulations on this very happy occasion Dean. My husband and I wish you all the happiness in the world," Mrs. Finnigan spoke over her shoulder before she –finally- left the room.

Seamus didn't have to go far to find a secluded corner to talk. Just down the hall was a small alcove with two plush chairs. He took the furthest one and offered the other to his mother.

"What are you doing here mum?" Seamus asked once they were both seated.

"I came here to express your father's and my joy for Dean. You two spent so much time together during your school days that we've come to think of his as second son. I am so glad that he has found such joyous love in such a wonderful girl like Kari. Though I would be even happier if it was you getting married today."

It never ceased to amaze the young Irish man how his mother –no matter who or what they were discussing- always seemed to get in the fact that Seamus was not even remotely close to marrying. It seemed that when Seamus had entered his twenties without a serious girlfriend, his other was instantly worried that he would never marry.

"Speaking of such, that young lady you've been spending so much time with, you know that one? Well she came by before we left this morning and asked me to give you this letter." Having delivered the letter and given her son a hard time about his relationship status, Mrs. Finnigan stood to join the other guests in the church across the street.

"Oh, and promise me you won't let this one go, I think she may be a keeper," his mother added over her shoulder before disappearing around the corner. Seamus sat in the chair, waiting until he was absolutely alone to read the letter. He couldn't explain why, but something inside him was saying he should read the letter alone. He took his pointer finger and slid it under the unsealed corner of the envelope flap, then dragged it along the sealed portion. He was dragging out the process, though he wasn't completely sure why. Was it because this was the first letter Lucy had ever written him and he felt he needed to savour it? Or was it that the same 'voice' –if you could call it that- that told him to open the letter alone was now insisting that such a sudden change in character could only mean trouble? Seamus wasn't sure which one drove him –maybe some of both?

He finally got the letter open and began reading the mysterious message.

_Seamus, _it began.

_It is currently close to four am and I am sitting in the lobby of my hotel, trying to leave to return home to my mother. Oddly enough, the hotel ends its concierge service shortly after midnight and, as a result, I am stuck here waiting until it reopens at around five thirty. I think this is a very bad customer service, especially to those night owls/ insomniacs/ people with late or early flights. Maybe I should complain._

_You're probably wondering why I'm writing a letter to you. It is oddly out of character for me. Well, the truth is that, as I mentioned earlier, I am leaving Ireland to return home to my mother. I haven't seen her in many months and, as I lay awake in bed last night, I found our separation nearly unbearable. I decided in that moment to leave as soon as possible._

_I would have loved to have said goodbye to you in person, but with all the things that have gone wrong, it would add time I cannot loose. Sadly this letter is the best alternative. I hope it finds you happy and healthy. _

_Much happiness in the future, _

_Lucy_

Seamus' hand quivered as he finished the letter. Lucy was leaving? How could this be? What had caused this sudden departure? He couldn't help but think that Lucy wasn't being completely honest in her letter. She couldn't just be leaving because she couldn't bear to be away from her mother for much longer. The last time Seamus had seen her she hadn't even mentioned her mother once. If she had been so desperate to see, Seamus thought her mother would have been a much more prevalent topic of conversation.

Also Lucy had said she couldn't spare five minutes to visit him, yet she had obviously visited his parents. Seamus knew that Lucy was well aware of his mother's love of gossip and chatting. It was very rare that you could hold a five minute conversation with the Finnigan matriarch. More often than not, you were detained for at least a twenty minute gab sessions. Seeing Seamus in person would have been the lesser of two evils, time wise. Lucy had to have another reason for avoiding face to face contact.

* * *

Lucy looked up at the large clock situated on the wall of the Portkey office waiting area. Hundreds of hands, each labelled with a city's name, moved about the abnormally large face. She quickly located the London hand –it was by far the largest- and was informed that the current time was twenty after nine. She had been waiting nearly an hour and had yet to even be served. It seemed there were a lot of people requiring transportation services that morning. Lucy would be lucky if she got approval before noon.

Taking another look at the clock, Lucy's thoughts unconsciously slipped to Seamus. She had arrived at his parent's house just before eight, assuming she could just slip the letter into their mail slot without running in to either Finnigan. Dean's wedding –if it was still going on- didn't start until ten so the Finnigan's wouldn't be readying to leave just then.

However, as Lucy walked up the gravel path to the small Irish cottage, she found Mrs. Finnigan busy in her garden. It contained magical and muggle plants and made a very beautiful combination. Lucy cursed her bad luck, knowing she would be wasting a lot of time here. Things were not going her way.

* * *

The minute Seamus decided Lucy had lied in her letter, he made another decision: he wasn't about to let another woman slip through his grasp. The only problem was that there was only ten minutes until the wedding. He was sure if he left to chase after Lucy, he wouldn't make it back in time to stand beside his best friend as he married the love of his life. For the past few days Seamus had been choosing between his once red hot feelings for Kari and his newly found adoration towards Lucy. Now Seamus was forced to finally decide. Would he choose Kari, the most breathtakingly beautiful woman he had ever met, or the incredibly infuriating and smart-alecky Lucy?

He knew there was only one answer to that question, the minute he asked the question. Kari was taken, and even if she wasn't, since meeting Lucy, his feelings for Kari had greatly diminished. Lucy was the obviously choice. Now all he had to do was explain that too his friends.

* * *

At nine fifty-five, Lucy was finally granted an audience with a ministry official on the transportation floor. The witch sitting behind the desk was an older woman with a mousy appearance and wearing far too much makeup.

"Hello dearie, what can I do for you?" she queried, her voice somehow high, yet gravely. Lucy took the seat across the table from her and began her request.

"I was wondering if it were at all possible to get a Portkey arranged for this afternoon to Saskatchewan, Canada. I really need to get home because my grandmother has suddenly taken very ill and I need to be with my family at this emotionally trying time in our lives. I do not want to wait too long because my mother says she doesn't think there is much time left for her." As Lucy began explaining her situation, tears began appearing in the corners of her eyes.

She had decided that the sick grandma card would be the best way to get what she wanted as quickly as possible. People always felt sorry for people with dying relatives. It seemed to be working because the overly done witch hurriedly began writing memos and checking files, doing all she could possibly to help Lucy.

* * *

Seamus had explained his situation to Dean first –seeing as he was closest- and his friend had basically demanded that he go after Lucy. The darker skinned boy insisted that they would make it without him –adding that it would be trying so as to not hurt Seamus' feelings- and promised to fill the Irish man in on every last detail. Seamus was so grateful towards his friend and promised to return as soon as possible.

Now, he raced through the hotel's halls, searching for the bride's dressing room, a location he only knew because the wedding planner had begrudgingly revealed it to him after Dean insisted. Seamus knew that Kari would not forgive him if he left her wedding ceremony without explaining himself.

He found the wooden French doors to the bridal suite slightly ajar. Kari's favourite genre of music, pop, emitting its sugary-sweet sounds through the crack. Seamus took a quick moment to settle his speedily beating heart, then knocked quietly on the door and called for Kari through the opening. It was her maid of honour, Suzie, who greeted him at the door. Seamus didn't know much about the woman, but hoped he could convince her to let him through.

"What?" she asked, her tone short and full of complete exhaustion. It was obvious that this wedding had taken its toll on her. Seamus proceeded hesitantly, trying not to offend the haggard woman.

"I would really like to talk to Kari. I know she's incredibly busy, what with the ceremony starting any moment, but this is very important. If you could just let me see her for ten seconds. That's all I need."

Suzie rolled her eyes, but opened the door to reveal Kari. She was wearing a simple, princess style dress and had bridesmaids clambering around her to ensure the dress looked perfect. Seamus stepped into the room and looked at his watch. Ten o'clock. That meant Dean and his groomsmen had just entered the church. Kari had five minutes to get across the street and into position. He'd have to make this quick.

"Seamus!" Kari exclaimed when she saw him. She quickly shooed her bridesmaids away, telling them to head to the church to begin the processional. "What are you doing here? Is there something wrong?" Kari's face instantly darkened and Seamus could tell by her eyes that she was having flashbacks to the night before. Seamus put up his hands in defence and began reassuring Kari.

"Nothing's wrong. Dean and everyone are at the church waiting for your arrival. I just came here to tell you that Lucy is leaving for Canada this afternoon and I need to stop her and tell her that I—well that I—that—that-," Seamus had spoken all in one breath to try and hurry his words. All the same, Kari seemed to have gotten what he said, and grasped what he was having difficulty admitting. Understanding crossed her face.

"Go! Tell her everything you need to, but you owe me!" Seamus smiled, embraced the breathtaking girl and then Apparated to an alleyway just outside the Ministry building. He hoped his connections at the Portkey office would come through for him.

* * *

Eleven o'clock was ten minutes away. Lucy was finding it very hard to wait those last few minutes. She had already waited nearly twelve hours, yet now that escape was so close, she couldn't seem to contain herself. Why couldn't time just fly by and she could leave the United Kingdom and all its inhabitants behind?

She kicked the broken dock lightly with her foot then sat before it, staring it down. It was almost as if she were daring it to suddenly activate with the magic needed to transport Lucy across the Atlantic. As she stared at the dysfunctional clock, it seemed as if the one voice she had been trying to forget rose from within it.

"Lucy. Lucy. Lucy. Lucy!" the voice rose with each call until it sounded as if the voice was whispering right next to her ear. She jumped out of her skin when a hand was placed on her shoulder. Instinct kicked in and Lucy quickly manoeuvred away from the hand. She spun around with her wand drawn, ready to strike at her assailant. She lowered her weapon slightly when she realised whom it was who had startled her.

It was not the decrepit old clock that had emitted Seamus' voice, but the man himself. Lucy wasn't sure how he had found her, out in the English countryside. All she knew was that he needed to leave in seven minutes or she'd miss her Portkey. All she wanted was to get away from him, so why couldn't she? Why did the universe hate her so?

"Hey," Lucy managed to vocalize without many of the emotions currently racing through her mind coming through. She didn't dare say more for fear that her anger or hurt or –god forbid- her growing attraction to him, present themselves. She dropped her eyes to the clock that now lay between the two. Seamus must have noticed the object now the sole focus of the auburn haired beauty.

"You can't leave, Lucy," Seamus spoke, sounding utterly defeated.

"Tell me one good reason why not! You obviously could care less about me. I've spent my entire vacation here trying to distance you from Kari because you care too much about your friendships. Then, last night, I drop by your flat to talk to you and see you _kissing_ her. How can I trust you after a thing like that? There are just too many strikes against you and I don't have anything keeping me here. Either let me return to my mom, or give me a damn good reason as to why I should stay." Originally, Lucy had tried to keep her emotions under control, but as Seamus stood before her, she just stopped thinking and started feeling. She let her emotions control her mouth as opposed to her brain.

She had dropped her head back to the clock after yelling and it was only after a few tense moments that she raised her eyes.

They met an obviously hurt and confused Seamus, searching for words to defend his actions. The two lapsed into –what could only be described as- the world's most awkward silence. Lucy counted the seconds that passed, hoping that Seamus would speak soon so she could leave. He may not have been in her good books, but it was still rude to disappear in front of someone.

"You can't leave, - because I'm in love with you."

* * *

Seamus spent the next five minutes speaking as fast as he ever had and explaining every single detail of his interaction with Kari. He didn't stop for air or to gauge Lucy's reaction; he just kept talking until he had said everything he felt he needed to say. It wasn't until his last word was uttered that he looked up from the clock he had been fixated on. He figured if he had been looking into Lucy's eyes when he spoke, he wouldn't have been able to get everything out.

When he finally looked into her soul revealing eyes, his heart stopped beating. Lucy took a step towards him, towards the clock, Seamus wasn't sure which. She took another, then another. She stopped just before the clock and opened her mouth to say the last words on her mind.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your beautiful bride, Mr. Thomas." Kari's face broke out into a huge grin as the last few tears of pure joy fell down her cheeks. Dean placed his hand beneath her chin, lifting it to his love-filled gaze, and rubbed the moisture on her cheeks. Then slowly –much too slowly in Kari's opinion- the new groom leaned forward and captured his new wife's rose tinted lips for their very first kiss as husband and wife.

Fireworks exploded before Kari's eyes.

* * *

Thousands of miles away, in a secluded patch of trees on the Canadian prairies, a broken clock materialized. Completely alone.

* * *

_The End_

* * *

_**A/N: **__Well, except for the epilogue, which will be out next week! Review and tell me what you thought! I put a lot of effort into this and made it extra-long! I hope you enjoyed it!_


	19. Epilogue

_**A/N: **__And with this, it comes to an end._

* * *

**Luck of the Irish**

**Epilogue**

* * *

_For each petal on the Shamrock brings a wish your way. Good health, good luck, and happiness for today and every day._

_~Irish Blessing_

* * *

Rain poured down on the concrete streets of the British capital and dark clouds filled every inch of the sky. It was the type of weather that drove nearly everyone inside; everyone except one man. He braved the rain with his umbrella clutched tightly in his hand. The last time he had been in a situation like this, his umbrella had inverted and ripped down the seam. This time, he held it in such a fashion that he still kept dry but the wind couldn't get at it.

As the rain fell and created a rhythmic pitter-patter on the pavement, his thoughts drifted to the not so distant past. He first thought of that fateful day, the last time he had been forced out into the rain. His life had changed that day. At the time it seemed like the end of his life. The months leading up to the day his umbrella inverted, Seamus Finnigan had experienced some of the worst luck, but it was nothing compared to finding out that the love of your life was marrying your best friend. That had nearly broken him.

Looking back on it now he knew it was just the end of one part of his life. His love for Karina James –the first girl to ever pay him any attention- had slowly ebbed away and given way to a new love. He felt much deeper, more passionate feelings for the infuriating Canadian witch Lucy McCarthy, than he had ever felt for Kari. He couldn't quite say that Kari had only been an adolescent crush, it still felt like much more than that; he was only sure that she hadn't been the love of his life.

A car rushed by, sending water up onto the sidewalk, and broke Seamus out of his thoughts. He had been walking too far from the road to be soaked –a lesson he had learned from being soaked several times by a car. It had been splashing sound itself that had alerted the Irish man to reality. He took a quick look at the nearest store front to regain his bearings and found out that he had walked nearly a block lost in thought. He only had another two blocks to go before his destination. He quickened his pace as excitement overtook him.

He reached the run down clothing store in another five minutes, the cold of the rain starting to soak through his coat. He had decided to simply walk to St. Mungo's as opposed to Apparate because he was only about ten blocks away. It would take him a little under a half an hour, and –on a very sunny day- it would have been a nice leisurely outing. He had been so couped up at work lately that he hadn't been paying much attention, and, when he left the building, it had yet to start raining. Ten minutes into his outing was when it started and by that time, he was already just about halfway there. It would be silly to abandon the walk.

As he stood before the dilapidated store front, a sign told him that it had once been occupied by a clothing store by the name of Purge and Dowse, Ltd. He turned to a dummy dressed in out-dated clothing and then took a quick survey of the area around him. He had to make sure there were no prying eyes before initiating his next task. Finding himself alone, Seamus began speaking as if the dummy could hear him.

"Mr. Finnigan to see Healer Watson. I have an appointment," he added the last bit for good measure to assure he would be granted entry. The mannequin took a moment then nodded slightly and pointed it's finger. Seamus nodded his thanks, even though the dummy would not respond to this action, and then slipped through the glass.

The reception area was the same as always, filled with witches and wizards waiting on loved ones or to be given healing. Seamus stepped passed the waiting crowd and the line waiting for assistance by the welcome witch. This wasn't his first time to see Healer Watson and he knew exactly where to go.

He toured through the many hallways and climbed a few sets of stairs before arriving at a pastel coloured ward. Light pinks, greens, blues, and yellows, covered the walls, floors, and desks. It was here, in this serene place, that Seamus' life was about to change even more than when he had met Lucy, five years prior.

Here in this ward of the hospital was also a small waiting area, not as busy as the main area downstairs but still occupied by several people. Seamus quickly glanced at each face in turn, looking for the one he recognized.

He found her near the back of the room, a novel clutched in her hands. Her auburn hair fell lightly onto her shoulders and her eyes raced rapidly across the page as she eagerly consumed the words. A smile crossed Seamus' face as he easily made his way towards her. When he was a few feet from her, she looked up and met his eyes.

"I was wondering when you would get here. You're very nearly late," she admonished, a smile crossing her face.

"Sorry," he replied, taking the seat next to her, "took longer to get here than I had planned." She nodded at his words, to say she heard them, and then returned to her book. Seamus chose not to interrupt her. He had quickly learned that, if she wanted to talk to him, she would. If he tried to talk to her when she didn't want to, it would mean a severe verbal lashing. She wasn't always this crabby; it had only started about four months ago.

At first, Seamus had been very concerned. Lucy had always been infuriating with her literal way of thinking and her near constant sardonic tone, but never downright mean. It had been very off-putting until he discovered the reason for her attitude. It was the very reason they were currently sitting in the waiting room of St. Mungo's maternity ward. When Lucy had first informed Seamus, shortly after she herself found out, he was overjoyed. He could just picture a little girl, with Lucy's hair and eyes running around their flat. His life had seemed complete before, but now he couldn't even see how he had thought that. It wouldn't be complete until the child slowly maturing in his wife's stomach arrived in the world.

"Mrs. Finnigan," a sweet voice called through the crowd and Seamus' thoughts, "Healer Watson is ready for you, if you would care to follow me." The couple got up and followed the nurse through a few hallways towards a small collection of doors behind which examination rooms were concealed. The nurse pointed to a slightly ajar door and told the two to wait there for the Healer.

Today's appointment would show the baby's sex for the first time, something both were eagerly awaiting. Seamus swore that they were having a girl, hoped and prayed that they would. Lucy on the other hand, said it felt more like a boy, though she couldn't explain it any more than that. Today would mean an end to the small feud that had developed in the Finnigan household.

* * *

Seamus sat in bed that night, reading the bits of the paper he hadn't that morning. Lucy stood before the bathroom mirror, wiping her face with a cloth to rid it of the dirt that had accumulated there over the day. It was their traditional night-time routine. The only difference about today was the fact that Lucy couldn't restrain the large smile that continually graced her face. The healer had performed her tests and come back with the news that Seamus and Lucy were, like she had known, were indeed having a boy.

"You know," Lucy spoke as she entered the average sized bedroom and tore Seamus away from the Prophet, "now that we know the sex of the baby, we might want to start thinking about what we're going to name him. Do you have any ideas?" Seamus thought about it for a minute before shaking his head.

Lucy didn't blame him. They hadn't started discussing what they were going to call their baby; it was only four months into the pregnancy. They still had plenty of time. There was just something urging Lucy to bring the topic up now. The time just felt right. She too hadn't considered any name in particular, but she had been reading baby name books along with her parenting guides.

One particular name always seemed to stand out. It was Irish, which Lucy found fitting considering the baby would be half-Irish, but it was the meaning that had Lucy so sure it would be the perfect name for her son. When she had first met Seamus on that fateful St. Patrick's Day, he had been living through an unlucky patch that had lasted several months. Naming their son after this time period in their lives seemed right.

"I thought, maybe, Devlin would be nice. How about you?"

Seamus thought about it for a minute before responding. "You know, I'm not feeling so unlucky right now."

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_The End_

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**_A/N: _**_Well, this is a very satisfying feeling! I have finished my first ever multi-chapter fic! Marking this story will feel so amazing; especially after all the re-writes this took to finally reach what you see now._

_I would like to take this time to thank each and every person who reviewed this story. Every word you wrote to me meant so much. It meant people were appreciating all the effort I put into each chapter. It meant that you liked it enough to take the small amount of time out of your day to say something about it, and, in turn, make my day. So thank you to everyone who has reviewed this story. If it weren't for you I might never have reached this point!_

_I would also like to make note that Devlin means son of the unlucky one… just to clear up that little bit._

_And, for the final time, I will request your kind words in the form of a review. It would mean the world to me! Thank you!_


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